Sat, 4 Apr 2009, 10:00 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Bob Orme

LAS VEGAS - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Tenth annual NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  717 Brian Thiel                           714 Dennis Taylor                
E1                   0.037  5.983 241.32     ****WINNER****  0.073  5.717 250.41
 Qualified:             #8  5.730 248.61                        #9  5.736 252.80

6:31 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 16 percent, barometer 27.89 inches, adjusted altitude 3,440 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Thiel was a little to the left of the groove on the top half of the track. A good looking pass for Taylor.

Dennis Taylor's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.547, 660ft-3.774/202.03 mph, 1,000ft-4.824.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   63 Clint Thompson                         72 Doug Gordon                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.026  5.649 252.95                     0.044  5.637 256.06
 Qualified:             #7  5.728 251.86                       #10  5.746 257.14

A good looking drag race! Thompson wins on a holeshot. Clint Thompson's MOV: 0.0066 seconds (approximately 2 feet).

Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.506, 660ft-3.722/203.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.762.
Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.516, 660ft-3.727/204.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.760.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7735 Steve Gasparrelli                    7338 Brian Smith                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.100  5.674 253.71                     0.030  5.759 248.11
 Qualified:             #5  5.691 253.14                       #12  5.763 245.05

Gasparrelli won this race in 2005.

Smith moved to the left of the groove at half track, and he stayed there. Steve Gasparrelli's MOV: 0.0151 seconds (approximately 5 feet).

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.521, 660ft-3.744/202.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.788.
Brian Smith's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.541, 660ft-3.786/198.32 mph, 1,000ft-4.853.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  779 Daniel Oliver                          77 Mark Woznichak               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.085  5.670 253.71                     0.111  5.721 250.55
 Qualified:             #6  5.723 252.61                       #11  5.756 250.92

Woznichak was the top qualifier at this event in 2003 and he was runner up here in 2004.

A good looking side-by-side drag race! A career best speed and season's best ET for Oliver. This is his second National Event round win.

Daniel Oliver's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.515, 660ft-3.738/201.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.784.
Mark Woznichak's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.542, 660ft-3.770/201.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.825.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Jay Payne                             828 Leif Andreasson              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.144  5.638 257.28                     0.107  6.032 189.84
 Qualified:             #4  5.671 256.16                       #13  5.791 243.85

Payne won this race in 2007 and 2008.

Payne takes the win. This is Payne's 420th round win. He'll face Gasparrelli in round two.

Jay Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.971 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.734/204.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.765.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Sean O'Bannon                           7 Brian Hough                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.047  5.636 256.50                     0.061  5.668 249.07
 Qualified:             #2  5.626 256.99                       #15  5.853 206.99

In their third meeting, O'Bannon beats Hough for the first time. Sean O'Bannon's MOV: 0.0465 seconds (approximately 17 feet). He'll face Thompson in round two.

Sean O'Bannon's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.517, 660ft-3.728/204.29 mph, 1,000ft-4.760.
Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-0.981 sec., 330ft-2.525, 660ft-3.736/203.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.773.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Roger Bateman                         777 John Patton                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.092  5.600 254.47                     0.063  6.919 140.33
 Qualified:             #3  5.628 254.09                       #14  5.838 229.24

Bateman's first National Event in alcohol was in Denver in 1984.

Patton was to the left of the groove and very close to the centerline at half track. Bateman will face Oliver in round two.

Roger Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.480, 660ft-3.685/205.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.718.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  457 Tony Bartone                          766 Jason Rupert                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.628 254.76                     0.041  5.978 236.30
 Qualified:             #1  5.586 255.15                       #16  5.911 240.12

Bartone was the top qualifier here in T/AD in 2003. Rupert couldn't keep his car in the groove. Bartone will face Taylor in round two.

Tony Bartone's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.502, 660ft-3.709/204.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.747.
Jason Rupert's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.647, 660ft-3.941/193.49 mph, 1,000ft-5.035.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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