Sat, 22 Jul 2006, 07:53 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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
   76 John Weaver                            64 Clint Thompson
E1                   0.106  5.790 250.13     ****WINNER****  0.082  5.745 248.39
 Qualified:             #8  5.774 250.74                        #9  5.821 246.21

4:20 p.m. Good Drag Race! John and Clint were side-by-side for much of one of the best races of the day. Clint Thompson's MOV: 0.0690 seconds (approximately 25 feet).

Clint Thompson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.031), 330 ft(0.052), 660ft(0.062), 1,000ft(0.070). MOV: 0.0690 seconds (approximately 25 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   65 Hank Coolidge                          62 Brian Hough
E1                  -0.090  5.770 249.35     ****WINNER****  0.109  5.716 252.00
 Qualified:            #10  5.846 247.84                        #7  5.761 251.39

Hough's team was busy between rounds, Brian commented "we need to be running 60's like the others here this weekend!"

Hough wins on the starting line! Coolidge wasted his best run of the weekend, but Hough was ready, he just missed that 5.60's tuneup this round, the team will have all night to find it for racing action tomorrow.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 6352 John Evanchuk                          73 Doug Gordon
E1                   0.102 13.103  77.97     ****WINNER****  0.071  5.730 249.76
 Qualified:            #11  5.852 244.96                        #6  5.745 248.16

Mike Gordon gives the double pump to Doug thru the window - he won the starting line battle and the race when Evanchuk had a ton of tire shake.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Dennis Taylor                         660 Jim Peters
E1                   0.146  7.252 141.49     ****WINNER****  0.115  6.284 233.03
 Qualified:             #5  5.719 251.39                       #12  5.879 239.61

UPSET!!!! Peters drifted over near the wall and lifted to avoid it, he looked over and to his surprise there was Dennis coasting with a broken race car. All Taylor could do is sit and watch Peters stab the gas and drive past him and into the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Steve Gasparrelli                     777 John Patton
E1   ****WINNER****  0.160  5.690 252.80                     0.120  5.823 247.47
 Qualified:             #4  5.719 253.18                       #13  5.883 245.00

Patton had a lot of tire spin off the line - Gasparrelli will race Peters in the next round and Steve will have lane choice.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.026), 330 ft(0.013), 660ft(0.049), 1,000ft(0.073). MOV: 0.0933 seconds (approximately 34 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  756 Don Hudson                           6959 Ken Kraus
E1   ****WINNER****  0.049  5.762 245.09                     0.059  5.905 243.59
 Qualified:             #3  5.697 253.23                       #14  5.887 241.15

The winner will take on Doug Gordon in round two... Don's got Randy Anderson in the house, Hudson takes the win, has no chute come out at the top end, but makes the turn on the road course at the top end.

Don Hudson's MOV: 0.1533 seconds (approximately 55 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Bucky Austin                          654 Randy Parker
E1   ****WINNER****  0.120  5.681 253.71                     0.118  8.713  98.74
 Qualified:             #2  5.687 253.75                       #15  5.989 238.72

Austin and Parker left together, but Parker lifted at the 250 foot area. Bucky will have lane choice against Division Six points leader Brian Hough in round two tomorrow.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jay Payne                             625 Nathan Sitko
E1   ****WINNER****  0.142  5.642 258.67                     0.011  6.170 227.92
 Qualified:             #1  5.666 258.86                       #17  6.464 216.31

Sitko is sitting in for Roger Bateman, Bateman was unable to continue. Nathan's got one of the best in the business - the thunder slug in the other lane.

This was all Valvoline, Camaro and Jay Payne. Jay will race Clint Thompson in action tomorrow. 4:48 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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