Sat, 26 Apr 2014, 19:38 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Rick Green

BAYTOWN, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 27th annual O'Reilly NHRA SpringNationals presented by Super Start Batteries:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Shane Westerfield                     490 Ro Yale                      
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  5.614 258.42                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #2  5.601 259.71                       #13  6.118 224.73

Yale is a no-show...Westerfield with his second quickest pass of the weekend, just a few ticks slower than his qualifying time. Westerfield will get the bye in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Jay Payne                               9 Todd Veney                   
E1                   0.139  8.284 107.84     ****WINNER****  0.037  5.657 253.85
 Qualified:             #7  5.649 257.78                        #8  5.650 253.33

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 71 percent, barometer 29.73 inches, adjusted altitude 2,544 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Payne and Veney have each won 1 times against the other in prior events. Veney with great light and the win as Payne with severe tire shake and clicks it off. Veney with his second quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  500 Dale Brand                            562 Kris Hool                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.042  5.611 260.36                     0.045  5.628 259.91
 Qualified:             #5  5.608 260.41                       #10  5.676 256.80

Brand is 1 - 0 against Hool in prior events. This is a great drag race as Brand gets the slight starting line advantage and then out runs Hool for the win by 0.0202 seconds (approximately 8 feet). Brand like the other two winners runs his second quickest pass of the weekend. Hool with his quickest pass of the weekend in a losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Steve Gasparrelli                       2 John Lombardo Jr.            
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  5.640 260.81                     0.076  5.728 258.32
 Qualified:             #9  5.655 260.91                        #6  5.621 261.02

Lombardo Jr. is 6 - 2 against Gasparrelli in prior events. Gasparrelli with the slight starting line advantage and then runs his quickest pass of the weekend for the win light. Lombardo Jr. slows from his qualifying time.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  806 Steve Harker                          433 Bryan Brown                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.094  5.604 261.32                     0.051  5.835 238.89
 Qualified:             #4  5.604 233.96                       #11  5.701 253.18

Harker is 1 - 0 against Brown in prior events. Brown with the starting line advantage and the lead until around 500 feet when Harker is able to chase him down and take the win. Harker matched his qualifying E.T. and has the quickest pass of the round. He will have lane choice over Brand in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  729 Nick Januik                           194 Mickey Ferro                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.078  5.623 259.31                     0.044  5.777 243.37
 Qualified:             #3  5.604 259.36                       #12  5.706 251.77

This is the first time Januik and Ferro have faced each other in eliminations. Ferro is out of the gate first and has the lead until right before half track when Januik is able to chase him down and then take the win. Januik with a good looking pass for the win, but slowed from his qualifying time. He will have lane choice over Gasparrelli in the next round. Ferro with his second quickest pass of the weekend in the losing effort.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Annie Whiteley                             Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.104  5.580 260.76     
 Qualified:             #1  5.589 258.62                     Bye

Whitely on the bye here and she launches hard and keeps it hooked up to make the quickest pass of the event. She will have lane choice over Veney in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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