Words by Jeff Burk
Photos by Ron Lewis and Joe McHugh

Former Pro Mod champion Jay Payne in a swoopy ’69 Camaro backed by FireIce and equipped with a Brad Anderson Hemi under the bonnet motored to a stellar 5.813 to qualify number one.  (Ron Lewis photo)

The quickest and fastest doorslammers in NHRA professional racing were living up to their reputation at Houston Raceway Park April 16-18 with the cars of the class exceeding 251 mph and ET’s dropping into the low 5.80’s.

Twenty-two cars were on hand attempting to qualify for the elite 16-car field, and the qualifying speeds and ET reflected the effort needed just to qualify for a chance to race.

How good was Payne’s ET? It would have placed him in the tenth spot of the TAFC field. Right behind Payne on the qualifying ladder was the all Canadian team of tuner Al Billes and driver Raymond Commisso, who ran a very quick 5.852 ET but really blistered the Houston track with a 251.20 speed on his second qualifying attempt. He would later back up that speed with a 251.30 in his first round loss but the pass did back up the previous 251.20 and as a result Commisso and Billes now own both the ET and Speed Record for NHRA Pro Mod at 5.82/251.30. 

Payne also had a chance to re-set the ET record when he ran a 5.813 in qualifying, but couldn’t come close to that number during eliminations.