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Sat, Nov 14, 02:08 PM

POMONA - Comp Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations
By Larry Sullivan

Andrews Clinches 1998 Title



POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Comp Eliminator at the 34th annual NHRA Winston Finals:
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  24 John Edwards        8.353 -0.497  Q   7 Darren Davis        8.275 -0.575
   C/EA   Index:  0.00                     C/EA   Index:  0.00 
                  0.444  8.407  8.407 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.648  8.544  8.544

9:58 AM We start with a heads-up race and the usual redlight.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  10 Jeff Gillette       7.099 -0.561  Q  27 Donnie Hedrick      8.053 -0.467
   B/ED   Index:  7.66                     B/EA   Index:  8.52 
                  0.625  7.145 -0.515 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.531  8.053 -0.467
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  18 Mike Saye           8.943 -0.537  Q   2 Randy Jones         7.929 -0.611
   G/A    Index:  9.48                     D/A    Index:  8.54 
 *****WINNER***** 0.511  8.913 -0.567 E1                  0.585  7.938 -0.602
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  15 John Johnston       8.601 -0.539  Q  31 Brad Wagner         7.909 -0.341
   E/ED   Index:  9.14                     C/A    Index:  8.25 
 *****WINNER***** 0.597  8.785 -0.355 E1                  0.486  8.051 -0.199
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  25 Rich Howell         7.472 -0.488  Q   8 Ruben Celedon       7.967 -0.573
   B/A    Index:  7.96                     D/A    Index:  8.54 
                  0.595  7.488 -0.472 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.552  8.018 -0.522

A short pause while the starting line crew wipes up "stuff" in the right lane, then we continue with this pair. Ruben takes a small CIC hit to win this one.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  12 Bryan Morrison      8.824 -0.556  Q  21 Mike Robinson       7.147 -0.513
   B/SM   Index:  9.38                     B/ED   Index:  7.66 
 *****WINNER***** 0.519  8.810 -0.570 E1                  0.443  7.175 -0.485

Mike Robinson with a big wheelie on the launch, but too early.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  28 Rob Robinson        8.404 -0.446  Q  11 Rick Braun          7.961 -0.559
   C/EA   Index:  8.85                     B/EA   Index:  8.52 
                  0.616  8.443 -0.407 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.600  8.043 -0.477

Rob Robinson's car hooked a right turn on the launch.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   4 Rick Houser         8.735 -0.595  Q  20 Clint Sallee        7.181 -0.519
   C/SR   Index:  9.33                     C/D    Index:  7.70 
 *****WINNER***** 0.505  8.774 -0.556 E1                  0.547  7.197 -0.503

Houser took a .05 CIC hit to win this one, a close race.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  23 Mike Wharram        7.155 -0.505  Q   6 Jim Kennedy         8.564 -0.576
   B/ED   Index:  7.66                     F/A    Index:  9.14 
                  0.482  7.120 -0.540 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.546  8.691 -0.449
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   9 Alan Freese         8.278 -0.572  Q  26 Andy Manna          8.564 -0.476
   C/EA   Index:  8.85                     D/EA   Index:  9.04 
 *****WINNER***** 0.568  8.289 -0.561 E1                  0.510  8.555 -0.485

Manna is running the Firebird here, his first-ever race car. Freese takes a big CIC hit to overcome Manna's almost-perfect light.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
   1 Steve Ambrose       7.984 -0.616  Q  17 John Fairleigh      7.423 -0.537
   I/A    Index:  8.60                     B/A    Index:  7.96 
 *****WINNER***** 0.578  8.634  0.034 E1                  0.499  7.606 -0.354

Ouch, an almost perfect light by Fairleigh, emphasis on the "almost."

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  32 Clint Neff          7.449 -0.251  Q  16 Lou Ficco           7.422 -0.538
   C/D    Index:  7.70                     B/A    Index:  7.96 
 *****WINNER***** 0.514  7.354 -0.346 E1                  0.527  7.698 -0.262
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  22 Phil Cocuzza        8.014 -0.506  Q   5 Rob Slavinski       7.380 -0.580
   B/EA   Index:  8.52                     B/A    Index:  7.96 
                  0.387  8.519 -0.001 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.674  7.548 -0.412
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  19 Santo Volpe         8.122 -0.528  Q   3 Larry Pritchett     8.186 -0.604
   A/SR   Index:  8.65                     D/SM   Index:  8.79 
                  0.559  8.047 -0.603 E1 *****WINNER***** 0.564  8.161 -0.629

Volpe needed to win two rounds to take the Winston title and Pritchett drove it out the back door to take the win, earning a 0.12-second CIC penalty next round and a 0.02 adjustment on Monday. That clinches the title for Bob Andrews, who was sitting in the water box watching this one. The margin of victory was 0.021 seconds, a very close race.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  13 Bob Andrews         7.539 -0.551  Q  29 Tom Brown           8.634 -0.396
   E/D    Index:  8.09                     F/ED   Index:  9.03 
 *****WINNER***** 0.497  7.859 -0.231 E1                  0.000 (Broke)      

The 1998 Winston champ gets a competition single here, Brown unable to answer the call today.

 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---(+/-)
  14 David Myers         8.303 -0.547  Q  30 Jeff Lion           8.758 -0.382
   C/EA   Index:  8.85                     F/A    Index:  9.14 
 *****WINNER***** 0.518  8.359 -0.491 E1                  0.000 (Broke)      

And Lion is also unable to answer, giving Myers a competition single to round two.

In round two it's Ambrose vs Celedon, Morrison vs Andrews, Pritchett vs Hedrick, Kennedy vs Johnston, Saye vs Freese, Slavinski vs Myers, Houser vs Braun, and Davis vs Neff.







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