Sun, 1 Oct 2006, 04:09 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 22nd annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Arthur Gallant                             Bye
E2   ****WINNER****  0.158 10.789  70.80     
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Hedges Jr ) 0.152  5.525 262.28   
 Qualified:             #2  5.411 260.41                     Bye

12:54 p.m.

Gallant gets rewarded for qualifying well and gets a bye into the semifinals.

Though we have spotty clouds, the track is entirely in sunlight as Gallant stages.

The car leaves hard but the wheelspeed goes off the scale and into severe shake as the car passes the 60 foot clocks.

Regardless, he'll be back next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 Dan Mercier                          1072 Bruce Horner                 
E2   ****WINNER****  0.096  5.483 263.67                     0.061  5.699 246.35
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Winward   ) 0.091  5.655 260.71      (W Morris    ) 0.203  5.727 239.91
 Qualified:             #4  5.467 260.01                       #10  5.661 248.25

It's international hostilities as Mercier represents Canada in this pair.

Hoerner is always fun to watch as the only known Chevy-powered car in this class.

Hoerner does everything he can and with the better front half and starting line performance, is leading almost until half-track.

Mercier's nitro power starts thumping and he drives by for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Bill Reichert                          39 Jeff Veale                   
E2                   0.086  5.411 276.58     ****WINNER****  0.017  5.430 258.22
 Prior rounds:
E1                   0.151  5.247 275.11      (M Albert    ) 0.131 11.345  66.49
 Qualified:             #1  5.299 268.28                        #8  5.519 256.94

Reichert has run the fastest TAD run this season earlier at Indianapolis.

If he sees the win light in his lane after this pair, he's the 2006 NHRA Champion. It's that simple.

It's not to be this weekend. Veale wins!

Reichert got into shake just off the line and had to feather the throttle. When he slapped back into power, he carried the front wheels for a hundred feet or so.

In the meantime, Veale is streaking down the right lane heading for the finish line as Reichert finally gets the car settled down and heads off in pursuit.

He didn't get there in time, even with Veale's engine giving up right at the lights.

I love this sport.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   19 John Finke                            110 Rich McPhillips              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.048  5.243 276.69                     0.036  5.566 244.65
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Kosky     ) 0.082  5.273 278.52      (D DeAngelis ) 0.021  5.312 261.62
 Qualified:            #12  6.153 244.74                        #9  5.657 250.37

This one was never really in doubt. McPhillips loses at least one cylinder early in the run and more and more raw fuel is dumped out the exhaust as the car goes down track.

Finke runs low time of the session by almost two tenths.

The semis will feature Finke with lane choice over Gallant and Reichert choosing over Mercier.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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