Fri, 30 May 2008, 07:58 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX 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:

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Left Lane: Malcolm Wahle Runs 5.996/239.78, Now #16; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Travis Nicholson Runs 6.026/242.63, Now #17; Best prior run: 6.343/194.55, Was #16

6:23 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 84 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 28.64 inches, adjusted altitude 3,818 feet, track temperature 111 degrees.

Neither car was running on all eight for this one.

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Left Lane: Jared Dreher Runs 7.109/214.96, Now #19; Best prior run: 14.092/78.94, Was #19
Right Lane: Brandon Lewis Runs 5.940/245.45, Now #15; No Prior Run

Severe tire shake on the launch for Lewis. Dreher had a number of cylinders out for the entire pass.

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Left Lane: Richard Putz Runs 5.511/261.27, Now #5; Best prior run: 12.017/71.76, Was #20

A smooth pass for Putz moves him up the ladder quite a bit.

Richard Putz's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.639/208.46mph, 1,000ft-4.652

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 5.736/230.37, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.835/256.84, Was #13
Right Lane: Brittany Force Runs 6.119/237.75, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.844/235.64, Was #15

Both drivers had a cylinder or two out early in this pass.

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Left Lane: Aaron Tatum Runs 5.694/253.09, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.734/243.63, Was #10
Right Lane: Jeff Hamelink Runs 5.814/248.39, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.844/247.70, Was #14

Tatum's pass looked pretty clean. Hamelink dropped a cylinder just before half track.

Aaron Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-1.010 sec., 330ft-2.601, 660ft-3.810/208.68mph, 1,000ft-4.820
Jeff Hamelink's incremental times: 60ft-1.004 sec., 330ft-2.604, 660ft-3.857/198.79mph, 1,000ft-4.915

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Left Lane: Brandon Pierce Runs 5.719/253.95, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.721/260.06, Was #10
Right Lane: Diana Harker Runs 5.641/251.72, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.754/243.94, Was #13

Pierce dropped a cylinder at about 900 feet. No visible problems for Harker.

Brandon Pierce's incremental times: 60ft-0.983 sec., 330ft-2.575, 660ft-3.801/202.64mph, 1,000ft-4.838
Diana Harker's incremental times: 60ft-1.015 sec., 330ft-2.596, 660ft-3.773/212.73mph, 1,000ft-4.770

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.467/258.96, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.633/254.42, Was #8
Right Lane: Mark Niver Runs 5.569/256.31, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.751/247.02, Was #13

A good looking pass for both drivers, with Niver now the highest qualified injected engine driver.

Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.407, 660ft-3.585/208.88mph, 1,000ft-4.601
Mark Niver's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.543, 660ft-3.717/213.60mph, 1,000ft-4.708

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Left Lane: Dana Stripe Runs 5.469/260.06, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.600/242.89, Was #9
Right Lane: Justin Davis Runs 5.496/259.31, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.580/257.28, Was #8

No problems for either driver.

Dana Stripe's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.431, 660ft-3.602/210.47mph, 1,000ft-4.609
Justin Davis' incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.436, 660ft-3.618/207.53mph, 1,000ft-4.633

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.412/265.64, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.511/262.33, Was #7
Right Lane: Thomas Bayer Runs 5.455/262.44, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.496/259.46, Was #5

Another good looking pair.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.412, 660ft-3.571/213.57mph, 1,000ft-4.566
Thomas Bayer's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.420, 660ft-3.593/210.47mph, 1,000ft-4.600

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.377/269.13, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.418/264.80, Was #3
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.365/267.22, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.418/265.17, Was #2

A pair of blown cars to end the session, and they both run in the thirties!

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.403, 660ft-3.554/214.59mph, 1,000ft-4.541
Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.391, 660ft-3.540/215.31mph, 1,000ft-4.527

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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