Sun, 20 Mar 2005, 10:09 AM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 36th annual MAC Tools NHRA Gatornationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Bill Reichert                         176 Jeff Veale                   
E1                  -0.107  5.214 271.57     ****WINNER****  0.038  5.528 258.47
 Qualified:             #1  5.181 276.07                       #16  5.575 232.97

9:45 a.m. Reichert made a beautiful run, but he started too soon and Veale gets the win light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  110 Rich McPhillips                        34 Ken Perry                    
E1                   0.046  5.613 254.88     ****WINNER****  0.060  5.524 258.47
 Qualified:            #11  5.424 258.02                        #6  5.350 263.85

McPhillips had a good light, but Perry's wasn't that much slower and McPhillips' car gave up the lead in the first 60 feet, He trailed all the way, not able to catch Perry. Ken Perry's incremental margins: 60ft(0.066), 330 ft(0.114), 660ft(0.092), 1,000ft(0.072). MOV: 0.0756 seconds (approximately 28 feet).

Weather conditions: air temperature 72 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 29.97 inches, adjusted altitude 1,009 feet, track temperature 76 degrees.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  149 Mark Albert                          2155 Guy Kelly                    
E1                  -0.003  5.508 248.13     ****WINNER****  0.064  5.396 263.15
 Qualified:            #10  5.408 259.29                        #7  5.370 264.47

Kelly got a freebie...made a nice run anyway.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 717M Aaron Olivarez                         13 Dan Mercier                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.039  5.347 262.77                     0.080  5.318 269.94
 Qualified:             #8  5.372 262.69                        #9  5.405 266.19

Nice holeshot win by Olivarez in a very good drag race. Aaron Olivarez's incremental margins: 60ft(0.044), 330 ft(0.044), 660ft(0.038), 1,000ft(0.025). MOV: 0.0127 seconds (approximately 5 feet). He haS LANE CHOICE AGAINST vEALE IN ROUND TWO.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Randy Meyer                            42 Gene Snow                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.062  5.297 261.09                     0.173  5.368 240.96
 Qualified:            #12  5.458 257.06                        #5  5.330 260.04

Snow was late and Meyer never looked back, making a nice run, by far his best of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7000 Darryl Hitchman                         6 Arthur Gallant               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.043  5.459 264.16                     0.199 11.489  65.86
 Qualified:            #13  5.469 262.31                        #4  5.304 270.92

Gallant's was late and then his car shook, then the engine went silent. Hitchman cut a nice light and ran just about where he qualified, losing lane choice to Meyer.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   24 Artie Allen                            22 Michael Gunderson            
E1                   0.106  5.675 210.82     ****WINNER****  0.069  5.283 271.49
 Qualified:            #15  5.496 258.54                        #2  5.208 276.49

Gunderson cut a good light and then ran away from Allen, earning lane choice against Kelly next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  318 Dave Hirata                             4 Ashley Force                 
E1                   0.088  5.740 257.28     ****WINNER****  0.084  5.375 268.17
 Qualified:            #14  5.475 253.37                        #3  5.295 270.67

This was the final pair of cars before the eagerly-awaited pre-race ceremonies. They left together, then Force steadily pulled away from Hirata's struggling dragster. She will have lane choice against Perry in round two.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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