Sat, 22 Sep 2007, 06:52 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 22nd annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   53 Jeff Hamelink                         469 Darvin Martinets             
E1                   0.055  5.448 254.47     ****WINNER****  0.021  5.474 261.27
 Qualified:             #9  5.505 253.95                        #8  5.502 260.76

5:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 29.34 inches, adjusted altitude 2,746 feet, track temperature 118 degrees.

Martinets gets the hole-shot, then Hamelink quickly reels him in. Hamelink starts pulling away, then loses a cylinder. Martinets drives back around at the 1000 foot mark and pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   33 Marty Thacker                         497 Troy Buff                    
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  5.559 249.03                     0.131  5.536 253.95
 Qualified:            #10  5.509 259.11                        #7  5.463 256.55

Thacker gets the hole-shot, then Buff starts to reel him in. Buff inches closer at every marker but runs out of racetrack. Thacker takes the hole-shot win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   35 Dave Hirata                          7942 Thomas Bayer                 
E1                   0.026  5.551 255.19     ****WINNER****  0.087  5.376 263.92
 Qualified:            #11  5.524 260.21                        #6  5.428 262.64

Bayer leaves last but is able to drive around Hirata just pas the sixty foot mark and take the win with his quickest pass of the weekend.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   74 Jim Whiteley                           44 Brandon Pierce               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  5.419 262.90                     0.052 14.789  59.62
 Qualified:             #5  5.384 264.60                       #12  5.536 265.12

Pierce hits the throttle and goes up in smoke. Whiteley goes right down the groove to take the win. Whiteley will have to win this race to keep his national championship hopes alive.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  596 Randy Meyer                           471 Aaron Tatum                  
E1                   0.136  5.499 257.83     ****WINNER****  0.077  5.457 271.35
 Qualified:            #13  5.536 257.92                        #4  5.345 276.29

Meyer is last off the line then he puts out a couple of cylinders out about 1000 feet out. Tatum is running a new design wing this race. He makes a good run for the conditions and takes the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Duane Shields                         440 Kate Harker                  
E1                   0.086  6.436 255.39     ****WINNER****  0.095  5.359 261.88
 Qualified:            #14  5.538 269.03                        #3  5.340 267.11

Shields gets a small advantage off the line but Harker drives around quickly and pulls away for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  416 James Thompson                          9 Aaron Olivarez               
E1                   0.096  5.499 251.67     ****WINNER****  0.099  5.384 271.24
 Qualified:            #15  5.541 265.85                        #2  5.306 274.55

They leave the line together and that was as close as Thompson ever got. olivarez makes a picture perfect pass, right down the center of the lane, to take the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Bill Reichert                        7334 Shawn Langdon                
E1                   0.134  5.327 272.45     ****WINNER****  0.057  5.391 267.75
 Qualified:             #1  5.304 264.91                       #16  5.549 257.78

Reichert can clinch the national championship if he wins this event.

A big upset here. Langdon gets the hole-shot, Reichert starts to reel him in , then Reichert makes the quickest pass of the round in a losing effort.

In the next round it will be Harker with lane choice over Bayer, Olivarez over Thacker, Whiteley over Tatum and Langdon over Martinets.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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