Sat, 15 Nov 2008, 02:06 PM Competition Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 44th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7009 Ross Wilson                          6180 Jirka Kaplan                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.008  8.228 163.59                     0.072  6.556 156.44
      C/SMA Index: 8.85 (+/-): -0.622           AA/AM Index: 7.07 (+/-): -0.514
 Qualified:            #18  8.287 -0.563                        #2  6.422 -0.648

10:30 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 22 percent, barometer 28.95 inches, adjusted altitude 2,565 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

This may be Kaplan's chance to run his "Five". There is still good air and a tight track.

It's not to be as the Hemi goes Bang near the 1000-ft. lights. He goes 182.90 at mid-track and slows to only 156.44.

Wilson hurts himself after a great 0.008 RT. He'll take a big permanent CIC into round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7010 Pete Adams                           3335 David Connolly               
E1                   0.079  7.489 182.62     ****WINNER****  0.020  8.100 152.66
        C/A Index: 7.98 (+/-): -0.491            F/AA Index: 8.60 (+/-): -0.500
 Qualified:            #22  7.452 -0.528                        #6  7.985 -0.615

Connolly shows his sportsman background with a "Perfect Five Hundred Under" and the better light to take the decisive win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 2780 Grant Lewis                           717 Mike DePalma                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.020  9.341 114.32                     0.074 11.230  82.44
      H/SMA Index: 9.56 (+/-): -0.219             I/A Index: 8.77 (+/-):  2.460
 Qualified:            #19  9.011 -0.549                        #3  8.130 -0.640

#3 qualifier has problems after the green and gives the easy win to Lewis.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  610 John Edwards                         707M John Mihovetz                
E1                   0.045  7.522 167.22     ****WINNER****  0.086  6.448 214.83
       C/AA Index: 8.02 (+/-): -0.498           AA/AT Index: 7.04 (+/-): -0.592
 Qualified:             #5  7.397 -0.623                       #21  6.509 -0.531

Mihovetz takes the long way down and gets very close to the center line down track. He has to push it to win and take a CIC into the next round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 730G Shane Gray                           4444 Bob Hass                     
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  7.067 176.07                     0.047  7.368 188.75
        B/A Index: 7.62 (+/-): -0.553            B/AP Index: 7.88 (+/-): -0.512
 Qualified:            #10  7.020 -0.600                       #26  7.378 -0.502

Shane Gray's MOV: 0.0223 seconds (approximately 6 feet) and a little CIC hit.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7265 Tom Brown                            7298 Scott Hedlund                
E1                   0.122  8.409 157.37     ****WINNER****  0.071  7.935 153.00
       F/ED Index: 8.83 (+/-): -0.421            A/SM Index: 8.43 (+/-): -0.495
 Qualified:            #30  8.353 -0.477                       #14  7.848 -0.582

Late light for brown in the little four banger and Hedlund gets the decisive win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   16 Arnie Martel                           74 Doug Lambeck                 
E1                   0.040 11.897  75.06     ****WINNER****  0.071  8.997 113.39
      I/SMA Index: 9.67 (+/-):  2.227           D/SMA Index: 9.00 (+/-): -0.003
 Qualified:            #28  9.174 -0.496                       #12  8.409 -0.591

Martel gets the advantage off the line and has the engine go "Bye-Bye" before mid-track. Lots of smoke from underneath the car. Lambeck slows to save any CIC hit.

We have a brief delay to check out the left lane for "Stuff".

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 140X Brian Darcy                          7910 Frank Cervelli               
E1                   0.416  6.939 172.39     ****WINNER****  0.008  7.054 178.78
       A/ND Index: 7.46 (+/-): -0.521            C/DA Index: 7.57 (+/-): -0.516
 Qualified:             #7  6.846 -0.614                       #23  7.044 -0.526

Darcy's Neil & Parks A/ND is waaay late off the line and gives the easy win to Cervelli. Small CIC in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 529Y Steve Holloway                       5450 Steve Matusek                
E1                   0.150  6.693 187.65     ****WINNER****  0.079  6.658 194.80
       A/AA Index: 7.17 (+/-): -0.477           BB/AT Index: 7.32 (+/-): -0.662
 Qualified:            #17  6.601 -0.569                        #1  6.520 -0.800

Holloway is late and Matusek isn't. He has a big win and a big permanent CIC for his efforts.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  738 Jay Payne                            6944 Bob Marshall                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.024  6.950 163.57                     0.200  7.739 146.80
      AA/PM Index: 6.85 (+/-):  0.100            B/AA Index: 7.64 (+/-):  0.099
 Qualified:            #13  6.267 -0.583                       #29  7.160 -0.480

Marshall's car is pushed back after the burnout, but comes up to the line anyway. He may have suffered from a broken trans-brake, as he cards a disappointing 0.200 light. Payne was in trouble off the line with a bunch of spin and lifts. He gathers it back up and wisely clicks it early for no CIC.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 4254 Scott Benham                            7 Jim Cowan                    
E1                   0.130 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.067  9.949  97.35
       D/SM Index: 8.98 (+/-): 91.019            I/AA Index: 8.79 (+/-):  1.159
 Qualified:            #24  8.466 -0.514                        #8  8.176 -0.614

Whoa!! Benham drops the hammer and has the Cavalier go dead right and over the center line into Cowan's lane. Cowan had already gone by so no danger.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 765A Ron Weems                            7771 Ed Sigmon                    
E1                   0.193  6.637 210.93     ****WINNER****  0.054  8.754 149.73
        A/A Index: 7.11 (+/-): -0.473            C/SR Index: 9.12 (+/-): -0.366
 Qualified:            #33  6.703 -0.407                       #31  8.666 -0.454

Very late light for first alternate, Weems and Sigmon gets the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 3737 Jacklyn Gebhardt                     768M Brian Moscini                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.028  6.703 182.06                     0.053  7.581 179.88
       A/DA Index: 7.14 (+/-): -0.437            C/AA Index: 8.02 (+/-): -0.439
 Qualified:            #16  6.568 -0.572                       #32  7.573 -0.447

Wheels up leave for Moscini, but Gebhardt gets the hole shot with without a CIC hit.Jacklyn Gebhardt's MOV: 0.0235 seconds (approximately 6 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 6033 Pat Byron                             178 Dan Fletcher                 
E1                   0.022  6.979 192.19     ****WINNER****  0.036  8.097 163.16
        C/D Index: 7.50 (+/-): -0.521            C/EA Index: 8.66 (+/-): -0.563
 Qualified:            #25  6.996 -0.504                        #9  8.055 -0.605

Fletcher has wrapped the Division 7 and National Championships and has the beans to stay in front of Byron. Another CIC hit for the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   77 Alan Ellis                           5250 Todd Patterson               
E1                  -0.032  7.903 108.32     ****WINNER****  0.048  8.064 136.37
       A/AP Index: 7.26 (+/-):  0.643             D/A Index: 8.31 (+/-): -0.246
 Qualified:            #20  6.719 -0.541                        #4  7.685 -0.625

Ellis is just too quick by -0.032 and gives the easy win to Patterson.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 714D Kyle Rizzoli                         2000 Lee Sharp                    
E1                   0.018  6.881 195.90     ****WINNER****  0.025  8.400 153.23
       B/DA Index: 7.39 (+/-): -0.509           D/SMA Index: 9.00 (+/-): -0.600
 Qualified:            #27  6.891 -0.499                       #11  8.401 -0.599

Last pair of the round. Two good Comp. lights and Sharp gets to the finish line by a tenth. He just misses a permanent CIC, but takes a dime into the next round.

10:56 a.m. In Round Two: Steve Matusek vs. Fletcher; Mihovetz vs. Payne; Lewis vs. Sharp; Cervelli vs. Sigmon; Wilson vs. Gray; Connolly vs. hedlund; Patterson vs. Lambeck; and Cowan vs. Gebhardt.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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