Fri, 19 Apr 2013, 11:24 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual NHRA Four-Wide Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Right Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.477/260.21, Now #1

10:54 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 67 percent, barometer 29.19 inches, adjusted altitude 2,697 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Thacker goes right down the groove with a decent pass to set the early pace.

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Left Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.489/258.67, Now #3
Right Lane: Rishi Kanick Runs 5.422/253.23, Now #1

Kanick goes right down the groove and takes the early pole. Samsel drifts a little to the left late in the run.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.981/244.38, Now #5
Right Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.579/252.85, Now #4

Fricke gets about 300 feet out, has to pedal, then goes on through with no further problems. Stalba makes a clean pass to get in the fourth spot for now.

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Left Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.603/253.33, Now #5
Right Lane: Matthew Cummings Runs 6.452/197.31, Now #7

Cummings has problems late in the run and has to back off the throttle. Schuster makes a clean pass and gets in the fifth spot for now.

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Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.703/249.86, Now #7
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.443/265.90, Now #2

Reichert goes right down the groove with an impressive run to get in the second spot for now. Finke makes a clean pass to get in the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.487/261.83, Now #4
Right Lane: Artie Allen Runs 5.714/200.41, Now #9

Perry makes a nice pass and gets in the fourth spot for now. Allen was out in front early but put a hole or two out around half track and slowed.

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Left Lane: Richard Bourke No Time, Now #13
Right Lane: Dan Page Runs 5.435/266.69, Now #2

Page goes right down the groove with an impressive run to get in the second spot for now. Bourke was a no-show.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 12.789/102.18, Now #14
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.552/262.59, Now #7

Shields rattled the tires early and backed off the throttle. Mercier gets about 300 feet out, pedals once, then goes on through to get in the seventh spot for now.

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Left Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.379/260.86, Now #2
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.348/267.85, Now #1

A couple of really impressive passes here, both right down the groove. Demke makes the quickest pass of the session so far and takes the pole. McPhillips is right behind to get in the second spot.

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Left Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.457/258.02, Now #7
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.290/271.35, Now #1

A great pass for Whiteley as he blows by Demke to take the pole to end this session. Meyer makes a decent pass to get in the show in the seventh spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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