Sat, 22 Sep 2007, 03:08 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

---

Left Lane: Carl Magee Runs 8.206/194.24, Now #25; Best prior run: 7.051/217.28, Was #25
Right Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 17.021/75.42, Now #26; No Prior Run

1:21 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.52 inches, adjusted altitude 2,409 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

Massey hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Magee had cylinders out at the hit but he stays on the throttle, the engine missing and popping all the way through the run.

---

Left Lane: Artie Allen Runs 7.280/180.45, Now #24; Best prior run: 6.236/218.48, Was #24
Right Lane: Chris Holley Runs 5.889/225.67, Now #23; Best prior run: 5.856/236.59, Was #23

Allen had a couple of wet pipes on the left side of the engine, at least one on the right side, but he stayed on the throttle all the way through the run. Holley made a clean run but not good enough to get in the show.

---

Left Lane: Bill Evans Runs 15.303/45.92, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.727/224.77, Was #19
Right Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 5.619/243.81, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.835/245.14, Was #22

Evans goes up in smoke as soon as he hits the throttle. Johnson goes right down the groove with his quickest pass of the weekend to get in the show, but on the bump.

---

Left Lane: Darryl Hitchman Runs 5.704/245.81, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.632/247.84, Was #18
Right Lane: Karl Brounkowski Runs 5.799/249.30, Now #22; Best prior run: 5.785/253.33, Was #22

A couple of good, clean runs but neither is quick enough to bump into the show.

---

Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 12.753/82.21, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.538/269.03, Was #12
Right Lane: John Finke Runs 5.585/265.17, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.734/261.42, Was #21

Shields goes up in smoke at the hit and clicks it off. Finke makes a great pass for the conditions and gets in the field, bumping out Johnson.

---

Left Lane: Randy Meyer Runs 5.627/253.95, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.536/257.92, Was #11
Right Lane: Jeff Hamelink Runs 5.505/253.95, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.697/251.11, Was #20

Meyer put out a couple of cylinders around half-track and aborted the run. Hamelink makes a great pass for the conditions and gets in the show, bumping out Finke and putting Pierce on the bump.

---

Left Lane: Dave Hirata Runs 5.538/238.60, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.524/260.21, Was #11
Right Lane: Brandon Lewis Runs 5.611/256.26, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.630/258.62, Was #19

Hirata is in the show, Lewis isn't. Hirata makes a good run run for the conditions but doesn't improve. Lewis makes his quickest pass of the weekend but comes up a little short and will not make the field.

---

Left Lane: Marty Thacker Runs 5.528/256.26, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.509/259.11, Was #10
Right Lane: Brandon Pierce Runs 5.536/265.12, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.559/265.12, Was #16

A good side-by-side, both right down the groove. Thacker doesn't improve but Pierce gets off the bump and moves into the 12th spot. Shawn Langdon is on the bump spot at 5.549.

---

Left Lane: Darvin Martinets Runs 5.701/197.48, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.502/260.76, Was #8
Right Lane: Shawn Langdon Runs 5.759/253.42, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.549/257.78, Was #16

Martinets was on a decent pass but lost the blower belt about 900 feet out. Langdon has a trouble free run but doesn't improve.

---

Left Lane: Troy Buff Runs 5.463/256.55, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.496/257.14, Was #7
Right Lane: James Thompson Runs 5.573/263.98, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.541/265.85, Was #15

Buff makes an impressive run in the heat of the day and he moves up to the fifth spot. Thompson makes a decent run but doesn't improve.

---

Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.426/262.33, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.384/264.60, Was #5
Right Lane: Thomas Bayer Runs 5.428/262.64, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.428/262.64, Was #6

A couple of good runs, both right down the groove.

---

Left Lane: Aaron Tatum Runs 5.928/246.21, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.345/276.29, Was #4
Right Lane: Aaron Olivarez Runs 5.634/258.76, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.306/274.55, Was #2

Tatum made an impressive run on his first pass, then had problems before the second run. Olivarez has made two good runs. Tatum with problems again, the engine not hitting on more than five cylinders all the way through the run. Olivarez had a hole or two out at the hit and never picked them up.

---

Left Lane: Kate Harker Runs 5.384/262.95, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.340/267.11, Was #3
Right Lane: Bill Reichert Runs 5.332/272.72, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.304/264.91, Was #1

WOW!!!! Two great runs, the quickest two of the session. Reichert hangs on to the top spot, his 20th number one, fifth all time in this class. Blaine Johnson still leads the class with 26 number ones.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 13- NHRA and FOX Sports Announce TV Schedule for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 12- 75th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"