Sun, 22 Jun 2008, 03:44 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 39th annual Lucas Oil NHRA SuperNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                   8 John Finke                   
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.113  5.375 272.45
 Qualified:                                                       #1  5.258 280.43

3:21 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 86 degrees, relative humidity 44 percent, barometer 29.84 inches, adjusted altitude 2,710 feet, track temperature 121 degrees.

This is the third time that Finke has started from the number one spot at a national event. Two of the three have come at this track. His qualifying speed of 280.43 MPH was the sixth fastest in TAD history.

Finke had a nice looking run right down the middle of his lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1008 Tom Pickett                          1482 Richard Bourke               
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.096  5.578 266.21
 Qualified:            #13  6.142 241.41                        #4  5.389 266.42

Pickett was partners with Dennis Ferrara in the 1980s and were one of the top Comp Eliminator teams of the decade.

Picket was did his burnout and was getting ready to stage. He hit the throttle to move forward and his car shut down. Bourke had a clean run for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  104 Gene Arrigoni                         122 Arthur Gallant               
E1                   0.095  7.351 165.66     ****WINNER****  0.124  5.466 261.47
 Qualified:            #14  6.353 239.53                        #3  5.370 269.08

Gallant won the Northeast Division race at Atco last weekend.

Arrigoni's car was slow off the starting line and was slow on the track. It's been that way all weekend and it appears the crew has not been able to find out what's wrong. If you're going to have a slow car, you don't want to have it against Art Gallant. His car went straight down the groove for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  106 Bruce Insinger                       7006 Travis Nicholson             
E1                   0.121  7.174 193.68     ****WINNER****  0.132  5.646 253.14
 Qualified:            #15  6.775 217.91                        #2  5.317 263.36

Nicholson is making his second national event start. He works for car owner Tom Conway, who is entered as a driver for the national event at Norwalk.

Insinger's car was slow in the left lane. His car lumbered down the track with fuel spraying out of the left side headers.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1212 Jackie Fricke                         466 Diana Harker                 
E1                   0.071  5.574 253.28     ****WINNER****  0.082  5.558 253.71
 Qualified:            #12  5.925 175.46                        #5  5.393 261.17

Fricke was first off the line and ran her career-best ET but Harker got the win. Fricke was leading the race at 1,000 feet before Harker pulled ahead to take the win. Diana Harker's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.038), 330 ft(-0.096), 660ft(-0.054), 1,000ft(-0.011). MOV: 0.0053 seconds (approximately 24 inches). Harker will have lane choice over Bourke in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1072 Bruce Horner                          110 Rich McPhillips              
E1                   0.097  5.656 247.02     ****WINNER****  0.059  5.555 255.77
 Qualified:            #11  5.545 248.75                        #6  5.417 262.74

McPhillips was first out of the gate but was trailing at 330 feet. After that, he got by Horner and pulled away for the win. McPhillips will face Gallant next time out and Gallant will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1712 Dave DeAngelis                         23 Bill Evans                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.068  5.513 256.99                     0.065  5.662 259.11
 Qualified:            #10  5.544 256.21                        #7  5.428 263.92

DeAngelis and Evans came off the line together. As they made their way down the track, DeAngelis pulled ahead for the win. He'll have lane choice over Nicholson in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  118 Ken Winward                            13 Dan Mercier                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  5.662 251.58                     0.093  7.171 151.34
 Qualified:             #9  5.523 256.06                        #8  5.522 258.71

Mercier lost some cylinders as soon as he launched. Winward took his dragster down the groove for the win and a trip to the second round. He'll race John Finke and Finke will have lane choice.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Stock Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Gas
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Comp
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Sportsman
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Summit ET Motorcycle