Mike Castellana outran defending series champ Rickie Smith in the final round to win the Pro Mod Drag Racing Series portion of the Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals Sunday.
Castellana’s Al-Anabi Racing Camaro powered to a performance of 5.865 seconds at 244.52 mph to hold off Smith’s nitrous-injected IDG Camaro, which trailed with a 5.890 at 245.72. It was the Muttontown N.Y. native’s fifth career victory and first at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville.
Mike Castellana
Castellana was consistent in his four runs, taking out Todd Tutterow, Steven Whiteley and Raymond Commisso before facing off against Smith.
Smith, the No. 5 qualifier in his IDG ‘12 Chevy Camaro, was looking for his second victory at Gainesville, having defeated Castellana in the final here two years prior. The father of two-time Pro Stock Motorcycle world champion Matt Smith, Smith took out Kevin Fiscus, Troy Coughlin and No. 1 qualifier Danny Rowe on the way to the final.
The Pro Mod Drag Racing Series returns April 25-27 for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA SpringNationals at Royal Purple Raceway near Houston.
(Photos courtesy NHRA/National Dragster)
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Final round-by-round results from the 45th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals at Auto-Plus Raceway at Gainesville, the first of 10 events in the NHRA Pro Mod Drag Racing Series:
PRO MODIFIED
ROUND ONE — Steve Matusek, Ford Mustang, 5.986, 242.76 def. Jim Laurita, Chevy Camaro, 8.587, 97.67; Raymond Commisso, Camaro, 5.937, 247.79 def. Eric Latino, Camaro, 6.006, 245.76; Steven Whiteley, Camaro, 5.967, 244.29 def. Mike Knowles, Camaro, 6.055, 223.47; Rickie Smith, Camaro, 5.890, 245.40 def. Kevin Fiscus, Mustang, 5.898, 247.57; Danny Rowe, Camaro, 5.949, 246.93 def. Dan Stevenson, Camaro, 7.352, 131.68; Troy Coughlin, Chevy Corvette, 5.898, 245.00 def. Jason Hamstra, Mustang, 7.136, 148.09; Mike Castellana, Camaro, 6.109, 241.32 def. Todd Tutterow, Mustang, 16.066, 103.14; Mike Janis, Camaro, 6.407, 203.12 def. Jim Bell, Mustang, 7.322, 168.77; QUARTERFINALS — Castellana, 5.962, 243.72 def. Whiteley, 5.916, 246.12; Rowe, 5.919, 246.48 def. Matusek, 5.996, 241.41; Commisso, 6.049, 245.81 def. Janis, 8.849, 105.55; Smith, 5.915, 244.92 def. Coughlin, 7.701, 121.00; SEMIFINALS — Castellana, 6.088, 238.55 def. Commisso, 6.157, 240.64; Smith, 5.918, 245.85 def. Rowe, 5.889, 248.25; Castellana, 6.088, 238.55 def. Commisso, 6.157, 240.64; Smith, 5.918, 245.85 def. Rowe, 5.889, 248.25; FINAL — Castellana, 5.865, 244.52 def. Smith, 5.890, 245.72.
This story was originally published on March 17, 2014. 
