Sun, Feb 28, 02:44 PM CHANDLER - Federal-Mogul Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CHANDLER, Ariz. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Federal-Mogul Dragster at the 15th annual NHRA Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals:

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   5 Melanie Troxel      5.529 256.60  Q    4 Dale Carlson        5.502 254.33
   (G Ormsby    ) 0.450  5.746 244.21  E1   (K Nuckols   ) 0.524  5.638 224.66
                  0.467 15.625 5827.00  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.451  5.571 
252.33 TYPE:REPORT


    12:26 PM  We open with an A-Fuel car in the left lane, a 
blown alcohol car in the right.  Troxel loses traction immediately, the rear 
tires billowing smoke, and Carlson has an In-N-Out Burger for lunch.

  

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
  11 Steve Federlin      5.686 244.96  Q    3 Mark Woods          5.494 255.43
   (M Hentges   ) 0.483  5.751 245.18  E1   (E Schmeekle ) 0.540  5.687 239.53
                  0.579  5.775 243.33  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.491  5.559 237.84

Same deal, swap the lanes, blown alcohol left lane, nitro-burner right. Federlin shook very hard, the rear tires hopping a couple feet between touchdowns. Probably didn't matter, Woods ran on all eight all the way down the track.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   2 Rick Santos         5.487 255.48  Q   10 Darren Nicholson    5.635 252.19
   (D Sheilds   ) 0.568  5.820 181.45  E1   (C Bingham   ) 0.443  5.621 253.09
                  0.473  5.523 254.81  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.411  5.553 249.39

Santos' crew was scrambling last night, salvaging pieces from two destroyed engines to put one together for today, so this match between two blown alcohol cars was no "gimme." Nicholson reached way down, a psychic light and possibly a career-best run to put the defending Winston champion in the trailer. Margin of victory = 0.032 seconds, approximately 12 feet. Nicholson also earns lane choice against Woods in the semifinals.

  
 Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-Rd-Qua-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed
   9 Darryl Hitchman     5.626 242.10  Q    1 Rick Henkelman      5.452 257.19
   (M Strasburg ) 0.520  5.617 233.84  E1   (M Niver     ) 0.527  5.481 247.11
                  0.489  5.677 230.06  E2 *****WINNER***** 0.518  5.452 252.71

Two nitro-burners here, both making "soft" burnouts, just to clean the tires. Hitchman left first and held on to half-track, but then he dropped a cylinder and Henkelman's car mounted its usual strong top-end charge to win easily - and to take lane choice against Carlson in the semifinals.




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