Sat, 31 May 2008, 05:30 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

TOPEKA, Kan. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals presented by Castrol GTX:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  222 Dana Stripe                             7 Spencer Massey               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  5.509 257.19                     0.023 16.557  68.88
 Qualified:             #9  5.469 260.06                        #8  5.469 274.61

3:58 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 85 degrees, relative humidity 54 percent, barometer 28.79 inches, adjusted altitude 385 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Massey was up in smoke as soon as he hit the throttle.

Dana Stripe's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.429, 660ft-3.614/207.85mph, 1,000ft-4.637

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   73 Cody Perkins                          721 Justin Davis                 
E1                  -0.004  5.489 258.22     ****WINNER****  0.063  5.558 256.60
 Qualified:             #7  5.467 258.96                       #10  5.485 258.96

Davis was wiggling around at half track, but this race had already been determined at the tree.

Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.428, 660ft-3.608/209.01mph, 1,000ft-4.623
Justin Davis' incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.437, 660ft-3.647/203.77mph, 1,000ft-4.681

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  681 Shawn Cowie                           499 Brandon Lewis                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.110  5.374 267.59                     0.026  5.704 243.46
 Qualified:             #1  5.335 266.21                       #16  5.649 253.04

This is Cowie's first start as the number one qualifier. Lewis was runner up at this event last year. Lewis had a big holeshot start, but Cowie was able to quickly run him down. Cowie will have lane choice over Stripe in round two.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.396, 660ft-3.546/214.38mph, 1,000ft-4.535
Brandon Lewis' incremental times: 60ft-0.991 sec., 330ft-2.569, 660ft-3.773/206.95mph, 1,000ft-4.803

Shawn Cowie's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.041), 330 ft(0.089), 660ft(0.143), 1,000ft(0.184). MOV: 0.2460 seconds (approximately 88 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jim Whiteley                          466 Diana Harker                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.059  5.374 266.21                     0.057 11.520  91.63
 Qualified:             #2  5.346 266.79                       #15  5.641 251.72

Whitely is the defending event champion. This is the first time these two have faced each other in eliminations. Whitely beat Diana's sister Kate in their only meeting. Harker was up in smoke on the hit. She stayed on the throttle for about 150 feet before she lifted. Whitely will have lane choice over Davis in round two.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.390, 660ft-3.540/214.72mph, 1,000ft-4.531
Diana Harker's incremental times: 60ft-1.159 sec., 330ft-4.077, 660ft-6.769/089.55mph, 1,000ft-9.218

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Mark Niver                            745 Brittany Force               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.475 258.86                     0.069  5.912 242.98
 Qualified:             #3  5.374 264.03                       #14  5.535 244.78

This is Force's second national event start. She is 21 years old. Niver went to his first divisional final round ten years before Force was born. Force's performance was off at every increment, indicating she had a dead cylinder.

Mark Niver's incremental times: 60ft-0.975 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.638/216.34mph, 1,000ft-4.618
Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-1.063 sec., 330ft-2.707, 660ft-3.947/201.88mph, 1,000ft-5.000

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   74 Chris Demke                            10 Brandon Pierce               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.036  5.449 264.13                     0.022  6.899 137.04
 Qualified:             #4  5.412 265.64                       #13  5.515 267.16

Demke has been in three final rounds, two of the three occuring here at Heartland Park. Pierce had at least one cylinder out on the hit and he was off the throttle before half track.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.436, 660ft-3.597/212.86mph, 1,000ft-4.599

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Thomas Bayer                           53 Edwin Schmeeckle             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.063  9.617  84.08                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #6  5.429 260.16                       #11  5.497 259.51

This is Bayer's 10th national event start. Bayer was there for the taking - he shook hard then smoked the tires, but Schmeeckle rolled through the beams before the tree was activated. Bayer will give lane choice to Niver in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   51 Richard Putz                          471 Aaron Tatum                  
E1                   0.118 14.763  50.82     ****WINNER****  0.054  5.648 253.95
 Qualified:            #12  5.511 261.27                        #5  5.429 264.34

Putz shook on the hit and his car was almost sideways at 100 feet. Tatum will give lane choice to Demke in round two.

Aaron Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.595, 660ft-3.784/212.43mph, 1,000ft-4.778

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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