Thu, 24 Jun 2010, 04:54 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

NORWALK, Ohio - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

---

Left Lane: Bert Dawson Runs 14.220/61.78/5.880, Now #2 F/SMA Index: 8.34
Right Lane: Glenn Butcher Runs 6.638/210.77/-0.412, Now #1 A/PM Index: 7.05

4:22 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 53 percent, barometer 29.03 inches, adjusted altitude 3,186 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

We are down to the last catagory of the day.

Dawson has his hands full, as the Baretta's back end steps out big time off the line and he has to lift.

Good tune up pass for Butcher.

---

Left Lane: Nick Morgan Runs 9.426/104.27/1.866, Now #3 B/A Index: 7.56
Right Lane: Frank Cervelli Runs 6.954/189.63/-0.436, Now #1 C/DA Index: 7.39

Morgan has issues too in the left lane, near the same spot as Dawson.

Cervelli gets a full pass to tune from.

---

Left Lane: Larry Pritchett Runs 8.256/164.07/-0.424, Now #2 B/SM Index: 8.68
Right Lane: Stu Sandhaus Runs 7.140/185.46/-0.280, Now #4 A/ND Index: 7.42

No great times so far.

Both cars get to the finish line without issues.

---

Left Lane: Brian Darcy Runs 6.902/189.26/-0.518, Now #1 A/ND Index: 7.42
Right Lane: Buddy Perkinson Runs 23.492/24.39/15.872, Now #8 B/AA Index: 7.62

Perkinson has problems at the hit and coasts on down.

Clean pass for Darcy with a strong 1.006 sixty foot number. He moves into the new top spot with out first pass more than fifty under their index.

---

Left Lane: Rick Brown Runs 8.140/164.87/-0.350, Now #6 B/TA Index: 8.49
Right Lane: Frank Affronti Runs 7.755/174.68/-0.505, Now #2 D/A Index: 8.26

Great 0.008 light for Affronti and he takes over the #2 spot for now.

Brown makes a clean pass.

---

Left Lane: David Rampy Runs 7.303/169.44/-0.537, Now #1 A/EA Index: 7.84
Right Lane: Brian Browell Runs 7.285/179.97/-0.505, Now #4 D/D Index: 7.79

Two long time Comp racers to the line. #8 and #9 in 2009.

Rampy shows his power and takes over the new top spot.

Browell makes a strong pass too into the #4 position on the ladder.

---

Left Lane: John Coughlin Runs 8.302/161.81/-0.488, Now #5 C/SM Index: 8.79
Right Lane: Anthony Bertozzi Runs 14.571/50.25/6.631, Now #13 D/ED Index: 7.94

Bertozzi fires and falls back after a strong leave.

Coughlin makes a strong pass under the C/SM National Record and into the new #5 spot.

---

Left Lane: Vinny Barone Runs 7.786/169.85/-0.614, Now #1 A/SR Index: 8.40
Right Lane: Lonnie Johnson Runs 7.966/178.78/0.346, Now #12 B/AA Index: 7.62

Johnson's Neon makes a weird move at the green and slows.

Barone throws down the gauntlet and powers down the track for our first sixty under ET. Nice looking pass.

---

Left Lane: Pat Ross Runs 8.090/167.34/-0.530, Now #3 F/A Index: 8.62
Right Lane: Jim Greenheck Runs 7.827/178.33/-0.133, Now #13 C/AA Index: 7.96

Ross gets the best of these twos and a clean run into the current #3 spot.

No joy for Greenheck.

---

Left Lane: Robert Bailey Runs 6.653/192.82/-0.537, Now #3 A/ED Index: 7.19
Right Lane: Greg Kamplain Runs 7.099/186.15/-0.461, Now #9 C/DA Index: 7.56

Bailey dances the front wheels off the line and runs well enough to take over the new #3 spot.

Clean pass for Kamplain into the top half of the field.

---

Left Lane: John Frech Runs 8.165/160.23/-0.435, Now #11 F/D Index: 8.60
Right Lane: Steve Szupka Runs 9.348/93.45/0.528, Now #18 G/EA Index: 8.82

Not of lot of cylinders between these two!

French's run was OK, but Szupka slowed.

---

Left Lane: Santo Volpe Runs 8.954/146.50/-0.596, Now #2 L/AA Index: 9.55
Right Lane: Steve Ambrose Runs 9.731/97.88/1.341, Now #20 J/AA Index: 8.39

Like the last pair, Volpe makes a strong pass in the left lane and Ambrose doesn't.

New #2 spot for Volpe.

---

Left Lane: Al Ackerman Runs 8.059/164.61/-0.541, Now #3 F/D Index: 8.60
Right Lane: Sal Biondo Runs 8.272/161.34/-0.488, Now #11 I/AA Index: 8.76

Biondo's Baretta moves around a little at the hit and it costs him.

Ackerman runs well and takes the new #2 spot.

---

Left Lane: Frank Aragona Jr. Runs 8.313/139.73/-0.477, Now #13 F/ED Index: 8.79
Right Lane: Fred Allen Runs 8.610/150.50/-0.480, Now #12 C/SR Index: 9.09

Clean passes for these two, but no joy. They slot into the bottom of the top of the field.

---

Left Lane: Ray Vierheller Runs 7.456/176.40/-0.484, Now #13 D/ED Index: 7.94
Right Lane: Arnie Martel Runs 7.690/174.68/-0.490, Now #10 D/AA Index: 8.18

Last pair of the day!

Both cars make it to the finish line without drama to wrap up qualifying.

4:46 p.m. Vinny Barone stays #1 with a -0.614 under his index. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

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
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"