Thu, 5 Feb 2009, 05:48 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1 - Revised

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Revised notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Kragen O'Reilly NHRA Winternationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

---

Left Lane: Jim Warter Runs 8.811/151.90/-0.469, Now #1 F/SM Index: 9.28
Right Lane: Justin Lamb Runs 9.009/122.80/-0.351, Now #2 D/SMA Index: 9.36

11:56 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 67 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 28.96 inches, adjusted altitude 2,136 feet, track temperature 81 degrees. The expected dark clouds are starting to drift in over the track.

First pair of Comp Eliminator in 2009 goes down the track to qualify!

Both cars leave hard and make clean passes. Wheels up leave for Warter.

---

Left Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.663/131.72/-0.457, Now #3 C/SR Index: 9.12
Right Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.517/182.75/-0.503, Now #1 C/AA Index: 8.02

Edwards makes a big move towards the "New Tree", but is able to straighten out the Neon before contact.. He still is able to run just under fifty under his index.

Sigmon gets a clean pass.

---

Left Lane: Shane Gray Runs 7.009/197.02/-0.611, Now #1 B/A Index: 7.62
Right Lane: Brian Moscini Runs 7.811/173.85/-0.469, Now #4 C/AA Index: 8.28

Nice pass for Gray into the sixty under range and the new #1 spot. Moscini has a clean pass too.

---

Left Lane: Tom Brown Runs 8.251/160.38/-0.579, Now #3 F/ED Index: 8.83
Right Lane: Dean Carter Runs 6.978/188.65/-0.592, Now #2 B/ND Index: 7.57

Two "long cars" this time. Both cars make straight and true passes into the new #2 and #3 spots for now.

---

Left Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.418/159.55/-0.552, Now #4 D/SMA Index: 8.97
Right Lane: Art Hodges Runs 6.649/217.04/-0.421, Now #9 C/A Index: 7.07

Wheels up leave for Lambeck and a clean finish.

---

Left Lane: Bob Marshall Runs 7.186/189.23/-0.454, Now #10 B/AA Index: 7.64
Right Lane: Scott Hedlund Runs 7.792/173.41/-0.618, Now #1 A/SM Index: 8.41

Hedlund with the wheels up leave this time and both cars have good passes. Hedlund takes over the new top spot.

---

Left Lane: Brandon Huhtala Runs 7.419/182.50/-0.561, Now #6 C/A Index: 7.98
Right Lane: Tom Mettler Runs 7.374/182.43/-0.636, Now #1 PST Index: 8.01

Mettler found some more power over the winter and shows it, running well into the sixties.

---

Left Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 8.341/163.24/-0.489, Now #10 C/SMA Index: 8.83
Right Lane: Todd Patterson Runs 7.650/178.00/-0.610, Now #4 D/A Index: 8.26

Sixties are getting cheap!

---

Left Lane: David Beckley Runs 7.492/180.62/-0.488, Now #12 C/A Index: 7.98
Right Lane: Jim Cowan Runs 8.158/153.47/-0.632, Now #2 I/AA Index: 8.79

Cowan misses #1 by a smidgen.

---

Left Lane: J.D. Zink Runs 6.906/188.17/-0.554, Now #10 A/ND Index: 7.46
Right Lane: Dan Fletcher Runs 8.087/167.61/-0.573, Now #8 C/EA Index: 8.66

Two strong leaves get them both top half of the field positions for now.

---

Left Lane: Lou Ficco Runs 7.308/186.74/-0.572, Now #9 B/AP Index: 7.88
Right Lane: Randy Jones Runs 8.178/167.82/-0.382, Now #21 D/SM Index: 8.56

Ficco tests the tree and loses. Both cars make clean passes, but Jones is off his usual quick pace.

---

Left Lane: Lee Sharp Runs 8.362/162.29/-0.608, Now #6 D/SMA Index: 8.97

Last car of the session and another sixty under pass gets Sharp the #6 position.

12:14 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 17- Oh, Brother!
Feb 13- NHRA and FOX Sports Announce TV Schedule for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 12- 75th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster