Sat, 12 Jun 2010, 07:40 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 Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 41st annual NHRA SuperNationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1482 Richard Bourke                       1072 Bruce Horner                 
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.240  5.650 246.26
 Qualified:             #4  5.440 259.46                       #13  5.587 250.60

6:45 p.m. - Weather conditions: air temperature 91 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.86 inches, adjusted altitude 2,979 feet, track temperature 106 degrees.

This is the 29th time Horner has raced in the national event here. Bourke did not answer the call, so Horner will move on to the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1008 Tom Pickett                          4843 Monroe Guest                 
E1                   0.569 18.325  36.61     ****WINNER****  0.079  5.552 250.51
 Qualified:            #12  5.579 252.38                        #5  5.454 256.21

Something must have ben wrong with Pickett's car for him to leave that late. Guest will move on to the next round. He'll have lane choice over Horner in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                7051 Darren Nicholson             
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.059  5.358 262.69
 Qualified:                                                       #1  5.328 264.18

Well, there was something wrong with Pickett's car as we have been down for a bit while crews cleaned up after him on the track. Nicholson had the bye and had a clean run down the groove.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  118 Ken Winward                           185 Mike Kosky                   
E1                   0.068  6.004 192.74     ****WINNER****  0.041  5.381 264.08
 Qualified:            #15  6.767 142.10                        #2  5.372 262.95

This is Kosky's 146th race and 27th race here at Englishtown. He won here in 1987 and 1988, and was runner up five times. He ran right down the groove for the win. It sounded as if Winward's car popped the blower as he crossed the finish line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Dan Mercier                          1128 Karen Stalba                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.265  5.556 261.32                           No Time      
 Qualified:            #10  5.532 263.26                        #7  5.490 261.52

Stalba is driving a car that formerly driven by Morgan Lucas. It's her first national event in an A/Fuel car. Both drivers prestaged, but neither wanted to stage. Mercier finally pulled in and a second later, Stalba's car lurched forward through the beams. Mercier got the win but gave up lane choice to Kosky in the second round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 John Finke                            110 Rich McPhillips              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.073  5.551 248.80                     0.086  5.696 246.89
 Qualified:             #9  5.505 250.13                        #8  5.495 246.39

Finke is the defending Top Alcohol Dragster champion. This is McPhillips' 95th race in a Top Alcohol Dragster. His first was at Columbus in 1990.

Finke was first out of the gate and stayed out in front for the entire quarter mile. He'll race Nicholson next time out and Nicholson will have lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1490 Brandon Greco                          18 Darvin Martinets             
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.145  5.501 258.52
 Qualified:            #11  5.533 244.92                        #6  5.475 255.92

This was Greco's first race in a Top Alcohol Dragster, but he did not answer the call. Martinets had a solo run into the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  122 Arthur Gallant                       1712 Dave DeAngelis               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.213  5.446 257.78                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  5.430 266.85                       #14  5.606 257.14

Gallant was runner up here in 2001 and 2002, DeAngelis -- one of 17 drivers who raced this car -- was runner up in 2007 and 2008. DeAngelis did his burnout and when he was staging, shut the car down and his crew pushed him back.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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