The dominant formation mechanisms of chlorinated phenylacetylenes, naphthalenes, and phenylvinylacetylenes in relatively low pressure and temperature (similar to 40 Torr and 1000 K) pyrolysis systems are explored. Mechanism elucidation is achieved through a combination of theoretical and experimental techniques, the former employing a novel simplification of kinetic modeling which utilizes rate constants in a probabilistic framework. Contemporary formation schemes of the compounds of interest generally require successive additions of acetylene to phenyl radicals. As such, infrared laser powered homogeneous pyrolyses of dichloro- or trichloroethylene were perturbed with 1,2,4- or 1,2,3-trichlorobenzene. The resulting changes in product identities were compared with the major products expected from conventional pathways, aided by the results of our previous computational work. This analysis suggests that a BittnerHoward growth mechanism, with a novel amendment to the conventional scheme made just prior to ring closure, describes the major products well. Expected products from a number of other potentially operative channels are shown to be incongruent with experiment, further supporting the role of BittnerHoward channels as the unique pathway to naphthalene growth. A simple quantitative analysis which performs very well is achieved by considering the reaction scheme as a probability tree, with relative rate constants being cast as branching probabilities. This analysis describes all chlorinated phenylacetylene, naphthalene, and phenylvinylacetylene congeners. The scheme is then tested in a more general system, i.e., not enforcing a hydrogen abstraction/acetylene addition mechanism, by pyrolyzing mixtures of di- and trichloroethylene without the addition of an aromatic precursor. The model indicates that these mechanisms are still likely to be operative.