Fri, 02 Nov 2012, 19:24 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

LAS VEGAS - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Pacific Division, Shortline Express Gambler Shootout at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: William Litton No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: Aaron Olivarez Runs 5.519/258.52, Now #1

3:48 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 18 percent, barometer 27.80 inches, adjusted altitude 4,225 feet, track temperature 108 degrees.

Two nitro cars to start the session. This is only an eight car field!

Litton leaves before the green and won't get any numbers.

Olivarez mas a good 0.967 sixty foot time to set a mark for the rest of the field.

Aaron Olivarez's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.498, 660ft-3.660/213.87 mph, 1,000ft-4.657.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.688/234.41, Now #3
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.421/265.80, Now #1

They leave almost together and run together down the track on clean and straight passes.

St. Arnaud pulls steadily ahead going down the track and has a big advantage at the finish line.

Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.538, 660ft-3.728/209.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.758.
Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.630/221.02 mph, 1,000ft-4.590.

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Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.536/248.43, Now #3

Ahten will make a single pass, as Cody Perkins doesn't make the call.

He makes a clean pass to near the finish line before dropping a couple of cylinders.

Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.499, 660ft-3.658/214.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.655.

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Left Lane: Greg Hunter Runs 5.407/266.74, Now #1
Right Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.410/263.26, Now #2

Our first blower cars of the session.

GREAT side by side passes for the pair with only 0.003 difference in their ET's. Hunter gets off the line first and keeps the lead to the finish line. Neat!

Greg Hunter's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.576/214.38 mph, 1,000ft-4.565.
Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.410, 660ft-3.565/213.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.559.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.407/266.64, Now #2
Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.653/251.25, Now #7

Two more fuelers.

Terrific looking pass for McKernan and she matches Hunter's ET and gives up the number one spot by just 0.10 MPH.

Finke matches McKernan's RT, but his car was a little lazy off the line and he chased the Truck-Lite dragster to the finish line.

Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.470, 660ft-3.607/220.12 mph, 1,000ft-4.573.
John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-1.031 sec., 330ft-2.617, 660ft-3.780/217.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.772.

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Left Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.511/264.23, Now #6
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.506/261.02, Now #5

Jackie Fricke is on the bump spot at 5.688.

Two more strong passes and both cars bump into the field for now.

Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.510, 660ft-3.685/214.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.
Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.446, 660ft-3.633/208.68 mph, 1,000ft-4.647.

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Left Lane: Sidnei Frigo Runs 5.557/253.80, Now #9
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.596/252.33, Now #10

Johnny Ahten is on the bump spot at 5.536.

Both cars make clean passes, but neither team will be happy with the performance.

Sidnei Frigo's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.552, 660ft-3.714/215.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.694.
Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.989 sec., 330ft-2.555, 660ft-3.731/214.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.721.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.397/266.16, Now #1
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.471/222.51, Now #6

Whiteley has clinched the 2012 Top Alcohol Dragster Championship and is looking for the top spot today.

Demke isn't impressed and chases and passes Whiteley right before the finish line to run our only sub-forty ET.

Whiteley had all of the numbers until after the 1000 foot lights, but slows for no apparent reason.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.941 sec., 330ft-2.409, 660ft-3.565/213.27 mph, 1,000ft-4.554.
Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.538/215.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.525.

4:16 p.m. Chase Copeland is on the bump spot at 5.511.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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