Sat, 20 Apr 2013, 11:42 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

CONCORD, N.C. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual Dollar General NHRA Four-Wide Nationals fueled by Full Throttle 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: Artie Allen Runs 5.349/239.74, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.714/200.41, Was #18

11:11 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 29 percent, barometer 29.49 inches, adjusted altitude 1127 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Allen goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show in the third spot for now.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 10.348/112.53, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.897/241.93, Was #19
Right Lane: Karen Stalba Runs 5.440/260.61, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.579/252.85, Was #17

Fricke goes up in smoke at the hit and will not make the show. Stalba makes her quickest pass of the weekend to get in the field in the 11th spot for now.

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Left Lane: Richard Bourke Runs 5.614/258.81, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.646/256.06, Was #18
Right Lane: Matthew Cummings Runs 5.416/244.25, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.524/254.52, Was #15

Cummings was losing power near the end of the run but makes it in the show in the seventh spot for now. Bourke makes a clean pass but not quick enough to get in the field.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 15.561/59.99, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.571/258.86, Was #17
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.719/263.00, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.492/256.50, Was #14

Shields rattles the tires at the hit and backs off the throttle. Mercier gets about 200 feet out, has to pedal, then goes on through but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 5.677/253.75, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.567/255.43, Was #16
Right Lane: Dan Page Runs 5.607/256.16, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.435/266.69, Was #11

Schuster makes a move to the right at the hit, pedals, then gets the dragster back in the groove. Page pedals once but goes on through with a decent pass.

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Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.881/254.86, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.514/243.90, Was #15
Right Lane: Rishi Kanick Runs 5.267/274.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.422/253.23, Was #9

Finke pedals two or three times before he reaches half track and slows from his earlier attempts. Kanick makes a career best pass, both ET and speed, and takes the pole for now.

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Left Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.668/260.56, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.440/259.91, Was #13
Right Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.420/266.53, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.419/263.56, Was #9

Samsel had to pedal it early and doesn't improve. Thacker makes another consistent pass but doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Ken Perry Runs 5.332/265.48, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.425/265.53, Was #10
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.380/256.36, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.416/265.53, Was #7

Perry goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend and moves up to the third spot. Reichert improves slightly but stays in the seventh spot as Perry goes around him.

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Left Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.253/271.68, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.381/269.46, Was #8
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.464/269.19, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.338/269.89, Was #4

Meyer makes an impressive run and moves all the way to the top spot. No problems for Demke but he doesn't improve.

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Left Lane: Rich McPhillips Runs 5.296/272.50, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.379/260.86, Was #7
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.281/270.16, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.290/271.35, Was #3

A good side-by-side here, both going right down the groove with their quickest passes of the weekend. Whiteley improves a little but can't move back into the top spot. McPhillips improves and moves up a few spots to fourth.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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