Von Smith sprinted to a No. 1 qualifier and first round victory Saturday at the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals. This weekend’s Pro Mod racing at Gateway Motorsports Park is presented by Precision Turbo & Engine. This is the ninth race of 10 on the 2016 NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series season.

Smith, driving his Al-Anabi Racing late model Corvette, posted a 5.814-second pass at 247.70 mph to earn his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and second of his career.

Smith then powered to a 5.872 at 244.12 to defeat Norwalk, Ohio, event winner Bill Glidden’s 5.993 at 214.21 in his 2010 Mickey Thompson Ford Mustang. Smith will meet two-time world champ and current points leader Rickie Smith, who beat Steven Whiteley in the first round, in the Sunday’s second round.

“I got to hand it to the team – they’re the ones that do it,” said Smith. “I get the fun portion of it: driving the car, or trying to anyway. They’ve really tried hard all year, obviously, and we all have cumulatively as a team. To see it get together and make more than a couple good passes at a time, it’s really been great for everybody’s morale.”

Reigning and two-time world champion Troy Coughlin outlasted No. 2 qualifier and Charlotte, N.C., winner Bob Rahaim in the first round and will meet Steve Matusek in the second round on Sunday.

Khalid alBalooshi, the 2011 Pro Mod champ, will go up against Jim Whiteley in the second round and Pete Farber will meet Michael Biehle II.

Eliminations in the NHRA J&A Service Pro Mod Drag Racing Series Portion of the AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals are slated to continue Sunday with two more elimination rounds before the finals at 2:40 p.m.

First round results from the fifth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park, the ninth of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series.

PRO MODIFIED:

ROUND ONE -- Rickie Smith, Chevy Camaro, 5.837, 249.30 def. Steven Whiteley, Cadillac CTS-V, 6.520, 232.63; Khalid alBalooshi, Camaro, 5.897, 248.29 def. Danny Rowe, Chevy Corvette, 5.932, 243.72; Von Smith, Corvette, 5.872, 244.12 def. Bill Glidden, Ford Mustang, 5.993, 214.21; Pete Farber, Dodge Daytona, 5.957, 245.45 def. Mike Janis, Camaro, 6.037, 232.83; Jim Whiteley, Chevy Chevelle, 5.907, 245.09 def. Sidnei Frigo, Corvette, 13.953, 72.99; Michael Biehle, Mustang, 5.888, 251.53 def. Doug Winters, Chevelle, 5.986, 234.33; Troy Coughlin, Corvette, 5.882, 252.00 def. Bob Rahaim, Corvette, 5.883, 247.02; Steve Matusek, Camaro, 5.879, 245.81 def. Todd Tutterow, Camaro, 9.817, 89.18.

Final order after 3 rounds of qualifying in Pro Modified at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, fifth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals:

Psn---Num-Driver, Home Town, Car Type---------------Qual-ET--Qual-Spd
 

  1 2377 Von Smith, Kingston TN, '16 Corvette           5.814  247.70

  2  360 Bob Rahaim, Grosse Pointe MI, '15 Corvette     5.840  248.02

  3  288 Sidnei Frigo, Sao Paulo BZ, '16 Corvette       5.843  252.33

  4    2 Mike Janis, Lancaster NY, '13 Camaro           5.845  245.63

  5  318 Michael Biehle, North Vernon IN, '67 Mustang   5.852  254.76

  6    7 Danny Rowe, Laguna Hills CA, '16 Corvette      5.858  248.75

  7  202 Todd Tutterow, Yadkinville NC, '69 Camaro      5.875  243.37

  8    4 Rickie Smith, King NC, '15 Camaro              5.876  249.21

  9 5200 Steven Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '14 CTS-V  5.879  247.66

 10 5450 Steve Matusek, Olathe KS, '68 Camaro           5.885  246.84

 11  327 Khalid alBalooshi, Los Angeles CA, '68 Camaro  5.904  246.53

12 2105 Doug Winters, Pleasant Garden NC, '69 Chevelle 5.910  242.06

 13   10 Pete Farber, Baldwinville MA, '69 Daytona      5.927  246.71

 14 5087 Jim Whiteley, Grand Junction CO, '69 Chevelle  5.933  243.99

 15    1 Troy Coughlin, Delaware OH, '15 Corvette       5.935  251.25

 16    6 Bill Glidden, Whiteland IN, '10 Mustang        5.941  243.99

 

       ------------ Not Qualified ------------

 

17  213 Chip King, Roxboro NC, '70 Charger             5.955  242.89

 18 6718 Shane Molinari, Battle Ground WA, '68 Firebird 5.970  251.86

 19  377 Harold Martin, New Hudson MI, '15 Corvette     5.971  242.41

 20 5012 Kenny Lang, Grande Pointe MB, '69 Camaro       5.972  243.50

 21  210 Jay Payne, Ontario CA, '14 Camaro              5.976  244.47

 22 1262 Chuck Little, Atkinson NH, '63 Corvette        6.009  242.41

 23 1109 Gerry Capano, Greenville DE, '69 Camaro        6.015  240.85

 24 6967 Jim Bell, Edmonton AB, '69 Camaro              6.015  229.12

 25  701 Clint Satterfield, Albuquerque NM, '68 Firebi  6.091  241.93

 26   44 Mike Castellana, Muttontown NY, '15 Corvette   6.209  226.81

 27 5011 Mike Knowles, Grand Junction CO, '67 Mustang   6.402  162.12

 28   11 Eric Latino, Whitby ON, '69 Camaro             8.180  114.79

 29  303 Dan Stevenson, Bolingbrook IL, '16 Camaro      9.466   96.67