Sat, 22 Jul 2006, 02:33 PM Competition Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6744 Chuck Smithfield                           Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.318  7.843 131.66
       BB/A Index: 8.15 (+/-): -0.307
 Qualified:             #1  7.492 -0.658                     Bye

Weather conditions: air temperature 79 degrees, relative humidity 66 percent, barometer 29.90 inches, adjusted altitude 1,656 feet, track temperature 98 degrees.

The number one qualifier is none other than Division Six's Chuck Smithfield. Want to go Comp racing with the baddest blown double BB altered in the country? This car is for sale...

Chuck made just one run in qualifying, his first session blast held up all day for the top spot.

Chuck drove out far enough to get the tuning data he needed and clicked it off a little early. Chuck Smithfield's incremental times: 60ft-1.097 sec., 330ft-3.116, 660ft-4.808/145.38mph, 1,000ft-6.310

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6222 Mark Stewart                         6016 Gary Anderson
E1                   0.097  8.995 148.85     ****WINNER****  0.120  8.815 151.14
      G/SMA Index: 9.45 (+/-): -0.455             H/A Index: 9.41 (+/-): -0.595
 Qualified:            #16  9.007 -0.443                        #5  8.847 -0.563

Our view here includes the head of the staging lanes, it's been very interesting watching each team and/or families ritual to get ready to run. Hugs, High Fives, and solitude are all in use here this weekend.

It cost Anderson a dime in the next round, but he was able to drive around Stewart and win by more than a car length.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6944 Bob Marshall                         6180 Jirka Kaplan
E1                   0.264  7.353 170.15     ****WINNER****  0.060  7.439 162.08
       B/AA Index: 7.73 (+/-): -0.377           BB/AM Index: 7.65 (+/-): -0.211
 Qualified:            #22  7.414 -0.316                       #11  7.154 -0.496

Marshall's Grand Am will leave first, but not by much.

If Kaplan pulls past you before the 60-foot timers, it's never good - Kaplan pedaled a couple of times at the top end. Jirka Kaplan's MOV: 0.0388 seconds (approximately 10 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6577 Ray Hadford                          6410 Dennis Myers
E1                  -0.025 16.963  41.79     ****WINNER****  0.000  8.351 161.19
       A/ND Index: 7.54 (+/-):  9.423            F/AA Index: 8.71 (+/-): -0.359
 Qualified:             #8  6.998 -0.542                       #19  8.293 -0.417

Ouch! Hadford had the better qualifying time, but left too soon. Myers cut a perfect light in the other lane!

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6869 Bruce Perkin                          730 Bryan Fitzgerald
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036 10.059  93.67                    -0.094  7.932 169.30
       E/SM Index: 9.24 (+/-):  0.819            E/AA Index: 8.41 (+/-): -0.478
 Qualified:            #12  8.745 -0.495                       #23  8.119 -0.291

One of the best of the northwest in the left lane, and as Woodburn dragstrip owner Jim Livingston calls it "a California Hot-shot" in the other.

Fitzgerald may have found the problem they have been having, too bad the red bulb ended his bid.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  600 Jeff Lane                              62 Dave Barcelon
E1   ****WINNER****  0.022  8.014 162.53                     0.043  8.472 159.91
       B/SR Index: 8.59 (+/-): -0.576             G/A Index: 9.05 (+/-): -0.578
 Qualified:             #3  8.013 -0.577                       #14  8.571 -0.479

Lane is currently 5th in the national points chase in Comp. It's clean and green off the starting line, and Lane takes will take an CIC bump into the next round. Jeff Lane's MOV: 0.0194 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

Jeff Lane's incremental times: 60ft-1.094 sec., 330ft-3.228, 660ft-5.043/136.86mph, 1,000ft-6.646

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6660 Adam Bowdish                         6054 Brandon Huhtala
E1   ****WINNER****  0.034  8.901 145.89                     0.018  7.884 172.89
       F/SM Index: 9.45 (+/-): -0.549             D/A Index: 8.36 (+/-): -0.476
 Qualified:             #7  8.897 -0.553                       #18  7.932 -0.428

Bowdish held on to win by less than half a car length, Like othes before him, he will give up some CIC in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7230 Randy Jones                          5800 Al Bresch
E1                  -0.016  8.745 149.15     ****WINNER****  0.019  9.123 151.46
       E/SM Index: 9.24 (+/-): -0.495            G/SM Index: 9.52 (+/-): -0.397
 Qualified:             #4  8.669 -0.571                       #15  9.066 -0.454

Upset!! It's a long drive home to Monarch Beach, CA for Randy Jones...

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  710 Doug Lambeck                         6298 Bob Kokotailo
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  8.747 124.63                    -0.008  7.294 187.83
      D/SMA Index: 9.09 (+/-): -0.343            B/AA Index: 7.73 (+/-): -0.436
 Qualified:             #6  8.532 -0.558                       #17  7.291 -0.439

Kokotailo's Firebird was once known as the "Superman" Pro Stocker, owned by Warren Johnson.

Superman Kokotailo goes red, he had a really tough opponent in the other lane and left just a little too soon.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
    7 Glen Treadwell                       6003 Dan Barton
E1   ****WINNER****  0.117  8.741 116.46                    -0.020  9.075 147.42
       F/EA Index: 8.79 (+/-): -0.049           G/SMA Index: 9.45 (+/-): -0.375
 Qualified:             #9  8.267 -0.523                       #20  9.039 -0.411

Barton knew he needed to take a shot at the tree, but missed by a little.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6996 Rob Harrison                         7737 Ken Justice Sr.
E1                   0.118  7.971 154.09     ****WINNER****  0.041  7.271 186.46
        J/A Index: 8.49 (+/-): -0.519            B/AA Index: 7.73 (+/-): -0.459
 Qualified:             #2  7.870 -0.620                       #13  7.237 -0.493

Great drag race with an upset!! The win may have been expensive for Justice, we've got word there is "stuff" on the racetrack. Ken Justice Sr.'s MOV: 0.0174 seconds (approximately 4 feet). 11:21 a.m.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 1162 Sal Biondo                           6018 Jim Warter
E1   ****WINNER****  0.040  7.939 155.67                     0.048  8.998 150.15
       E/AA Index: 8.41 (+/-): -0.471            F/SM Index: 9.45 (+/-): -0.452
 Qualified:            #10  7.893 -0.517                       #21  9.059 -0.391

Warter's run is his best of the weekend, but it wasn't enough to take out Biondo's Beretta. Sal Biondo's MOV: 0.0273 seconds (approximately 6 feet). 11:25 a.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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