Sat, 16 Mar 2013, 10:54 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.513/266.11, Now #14; Best prior run: 8.996/103.83, Was #20

Weather conditions: air temperature 66 degrees, relative humidity 58 percent, barometer 29.95 inches, adjusted altitude 982 feet, track temperature 72 degrees.

Finke with his best pass of the weekend and he gets in the show for now. John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-1.011 sec., 330ft-2.558, 660ft-3.708/219.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.677.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.449/266.32, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.617/264.49, Was #18
Right Lane: Bill Evans Runs 5.683/260.26, Now #19; Best prior run: 6.919/132.22, Was #20

Shields gets a full pass and into the show. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.507, 660ft-3.652/219.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.616. Evans with his quickest pass of the weekend, but he will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Al Moeser Runs 5.511/252.28, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.547/260.61, Was #17
Right Lane: Matthew Cummings Runs 5.395/263.05, Now #8; Best prior run: 6.178/204.88, Was #20

Moser gets in the show on the bubble. Al Moeser's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.432, 660ft-3.604/209.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.627. Cummings with a real nice pass to get into the top half of the show. Matthew Cummings' incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.539/213.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.543.

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Left Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.334/269.73, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.486/260.01, Was #14
Right Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.322/265.06, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.579/262.69, Was #19

This was a good side-by-side drag race. Perry gets into the top half of the field and Meyer gets into the top half of the show. Randy Meyer's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.426, 660ft-3.535/224.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.488.
Ken Perry's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.383, 660ft-3.526/217.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.502.

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Left Lane: Dan Dietrich Runs 6.504/199.05, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.477/260.66, Was #15
Right Lane: Richard Bourke Runs 5.508/264.86, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.546/258.67, Was #19

Dietrich clicked it off early. No help here for Bourke and will not get in the show.

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Left Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.486/255.87, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.433/258.62, Was #12
Right Lane: Mike Burns Runs 7.002/126.53, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.501/261.42, Was #16

Burns with a lot of tire shake and drifts out of the groove and then there is pop and bang around half track and he will stay on the bubble. No help here for Stalba and she will stay in the number 12 spot.

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Left Lane: Artie Allen Runs 5.332/260.61, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.345/263.00, Was #8
Right Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.722/253.80, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.460/261.37, Was #14

Samsel has a hole or two out right at the hit and will not improve. Allen with his best pass of the weekend and he moves up the ladder one spot. Artie Allen's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.396, 660ft-3.522/221.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.486.

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Left Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.313/267.00, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.321/260.61, Was #4
Right Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.514/251.91, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.419/255.82, Was #11

McPhillips launched hard and was straight down the groove to go to the number one spot. Rich McPhillips' incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.418, 660ft-3.533/224.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.485. No help here for Schuster...

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Left Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 13.272/62.42, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.286/263.98, Was #2
Right Lane: Dave Hirata Runs 9.654/93.27, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.332/269.46, Was #6

Reichert is up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle and clicks it off. Hirata with violent tire shake before he is up in smoke and finally clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Dan Page Runs 5.346/273.88, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.267/274.55, Was #1
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 10.958/72.09, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.316/263.56, Was #4

Mercier shakes right at the hit and clicks it off. Page with a nice pass to round out qualifying. He holds on the number one qualifying spot, this is the second time in his career he has qualified No. 1 at a National event. Dan Page's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.443, 660ft-3.578/221.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.531.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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