Defending Pro Modified World Champion Kenny Lang (Grande Pointe, Manitoba) showed why he is the world champion by knocking North Carolina’s own Smith (King, N.C.) from the top of the charts with a blazing 5.960 elapsed time at 239.48 miles per hour to take the No. 1 qualifying spot in Pro Mod during Saturday’s Castrol "Night of Fire" qualifying at Rockingham Dragway's IHRA Spring Nationals.

"Those nitrous guys are definitely fast. Rickie is running really quick so just to get close to that and be quicker was a good accomplishment and we are happy with that," Lang said. "We hurt the clutch in the run before that so we had to take the clutch out and service it before our run. We had to tune it up a little bit.

"We just wanted to make a strong, safe run, but not get too aggressive with it tonight. We still left a little bit on the table."

Lang’s pass moved him from sixth to the top of the charts Saturday night, edging Smith’s 5.962 E.T. laid down Friday night.

"It was a good run. The first couple of runs this weekend we struggled a little bit. We tuned up a few parts here and there and are finally starting to get back to where we need to be in relation to smooth runs," Lang said. "It was a smooth run, no problems with the car. We are making it down the track clean which is what we want and that is the way the car works best. I look forward to getting back out here tomorrow."

IHRA newcomer Tim Tindle (Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.) slipped to third on the charts with a 5.976 pass at 236.17 mph while Burton Auxier (Dixie, W.Va.) sits fourth on a 5.993 at 234.86 mph. Ed Hoover (5.999/237.21) sits fifth for tomorrow’s finals.