Sat, 08 Feb 2014, 13:25 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals 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: Ashley Sanford Runs 9.063/101.53, Now #9; Best prior run: 26.719/No Speed, Was #15

Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 57 percent, barometer 29.15 inches, adjusted altitude 1,591 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Sanford starts to shake the tires right at the hit and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.408/264.34, Now #4; Best prior run: 16.967/36.71, Was #15
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.277/270.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 12.379/53.15, Was #14

McKernan was on a good looking pass until around half track when it dropped a cylinder, She stays with it and still moves into the top half of the field. Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.456, 660ft-3.591/218.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.565. Severance launched hard and keep it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot with a great looking pass. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.347, 660ft-3.475/218.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.448.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.636/260.61, Now #8; Best prior run: 10.940/73.12, Was #14
Right Lane: William Litton Runs 5.440/269.89, Now #5; Best prior run: 12.300/68.39, Was #15

A couple good looking passes here. Grisel was straight down the groove to get into the top half of the show. Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.977 sec., 330ft-2.540, 660ft-3.753/206.01 mph, 1,000ft-4.774. Litton runs career best number here to go the number five spot. William Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.646/218.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.612.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.291/248.52, Now #2; Best prior run: 10.579/80.21, Was #15
Right Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 5.412/267.75, Now #6; Best prior run: 8.666/98.83, Was #12

Ahten with a great looking pass, but his top end speed is down, but still goes to the number two spot. Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.486/227.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.437. Taliaferro with a good clean pass to go to the number six spot. Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.486/227.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.437.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.340/275.22, Now #3; Best prior run: 10.263/78.29, Was #15
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.469/263.82, Now #11; Best prior run: 8.096/98.16, Was #13

Demke launched hard and it appeared the car was moving around on him, but he stayed with it to go to the number three spot and set top speed of the event, so far. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.420, 660ft-3.557/218.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.522. Cowie with a good clean pass... Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.595/209.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.612.

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Right Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 5.677/244.78, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.051/214.59, Was #14

Milanesio makes a move in the right direction, but will stay 14th. Derik Milanesio's incremental times: 60ft-0.985 sec., 330ft-2.555, 660ft-3.751/208.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.774.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 12.105/84.01, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.447/265.85, Was #9
Right Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 5.586/255.10, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.637/225.26, Was #13

Shields was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Sticker picks up one spot to the number 12 spot. Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.930 sec., 330ft-2.454, 660ft-3.664/203.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.706.

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Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.505/258.17, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.404/212.59, Was #5
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 12.820/73.54, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.385/270.37, Was #4

Bateman started dropping cylinders around 400 feet and never got them to pick back up. Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.493, 660ft-3.653/214.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.646. St. Arnaud is up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle. Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-1.227 sec., 330ft-4.363, 660ft-7.288/082.34 mph, 1,000ft-10.008.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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