Sat, 26 Jun 2010, 03:26 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

NORWALK, Ohio - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Fourth annual Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
        Bye                                   1 Bill Reichert                
E1                                            ****WINNER****  0.062  5.355 266.90
 Qualified:                                                       #1  5.358 264.86

2:53 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 83 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 3,508 feet, track temperature 123 degrees.

Reichert gets the Bye Run by qualifying number one in the fifteen car field.

Another great pass for Reichert and he improves both his ET and MPH in the tough weather conditions for best numbers of the weekend. That will put a little fear in the rest of the field.

Bill Reichert's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.445, 660ft-3.566/223.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.523.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  371 Dave Heitzman                        7051 Darren Nicholson             
E1                   0.090  6.347 235.97     ****WINNER****  0.200  5.459 259.81
 Qualified:            #15  5.947 245.32                        #2  5.371 259.66

A classic blown alcohol vs. injected fuel comes to the line. #2 and #15 qualifiers.

Heitzman gets a big advantage at the green and then drops a bunch of cylinders to slow. Nicholson is ahead before sixty feet and pulls further ahead to the finish line.

Darren Nicholson's incremental margins: 60ft(0.047), 330 ft(0.384), 660ft(0.569), 1,000ft(0.690). MOV: 0.7787 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Dave Heitzman's incremental times: 60ft-1.120 sec., 330ft-2.921, 660ft-4.271/186.12 mph, 1,000ft-5.397.
Darren Nicholson's incremental times: 60ft-0.963 sec., 330ft-2.427, 660ft-3.592/210.90 mph, 1,000ft-4.597.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1490 Brandon Greco                         185 Mike Kosky                   
E1                   0.180  5.767 243.63     ****WINNER****  0.102  5.486 257.68
 Qualified:            #14  5.708 249.21                        #3  5.398 263.51

Two blown cars this time.

Greco has his hands full before the 330 lights, as the dragster starts to drift towards the wall. He fights it, but runs right against it for a long ways.

Kosky has better numbers from start to finish and gets the easy win.

Mike Kosky's incremental margins: 60ft(0.057), 330 ft(0.143), 660ft(0.238), 1,000ft(0.310). MOV: 0.3598 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Brandon Greco's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.768/195.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.852.
Mike Kosky's incremental times: 60ft-0.953 sec., 330ft-2.438, 660ft-3.608/210.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.620.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 330V Jerry Powell                            6 Ken Perry                    
E1                   0.044  5.708 249.03     ****WINNER****  0.179  5.448 260.81
 Qualified:            #13  5.687 249.12                        #4  5.410 262.39

Perry is way late, but Powell can't improve on his qualifying times to stay in front after the 330 lights.

Perry runs close to his qualify times and takes the come from behind win.

Ken Perry's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.091), 330 ft(-0.031), 660ft(0.033), 1,000ft(0.082). MOV: 0.1251 seconds (approximately 46 feet).

Jerry Powell's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.520, 660ft-3.750/201.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.807.
Ken Perry's incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.416, 660ft-3.582/211.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.590.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  326 Robin Samsel                          122 Arthur Gallant               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.145  5.719 244.38                     0.064  5.879 251.25
 Qualified:             #9  5.528 253.04                        #8  5.489 260.97

Number 8 and 9 qualifiers.

Samsel is late , but gets back out in front early and stays there, as both cars slow from their prior bests.

Reichert will have lane choice in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   54 Jared Dreher                           35 Brandon Booher               
E1                   0.070  5.745 238.13     ****WINNER****  0.060  5.516 257.53
 Qualified:            #10  5.583 244.38                        #7  5.472 255.43

Booher from start to finish, after having problems getting the car to start. He'll give up lane choice to Nicholson tomorrow.

Dreher is dropping cylinders from the hit and was never in the hunt.

Brandon Booher's incremental margins: 60ft(0.020), 330 ft(0.108), 660ft(0.145), 1,000ft(0.182). MOV: 0.2391 seconds (approximately 84 feet).

Jared Dreher's incremental times: 60ft-0.966 sec., 330ft-2.535, 660ft-3.761/203.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.819.
Brandon Booher's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.437, 660ft-3.626/207.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.647.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  110 Rich McPhillips                       745 Brittany Force               
E1                   0.056  5.874 216.83     ****WINNER****  0.079  5.520 261.17
 Qualified:            #12  5.652 232.55                        #5  5.420 262.85

Two fuelers to the line.

Force keeps most of the cylinders burning and pulls steadily ahead for the easy win.

McPhillips had a small advantage at the green, but had to watch Force drive by almost immediately.

Brittany Force's incremental margins: 60ft(0.031), 330 ft(0.101), 660ft(0.152), 1,000ft(0.218). MOV: 0.3311 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Rich McPhillips' incremental times: 60ft-1.041 sec., 330ft-2.641, 660ft-3.857/204.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.909.
Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.987 sec., 330ft-2.517, 660ft-3.682/215.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.

Perry will have lane choice in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Dave Hirata                           744 Courtney Force               
E1                  -0.044  5.832 239.65     ****WINNER****  0.132  5.591 255.77
 Qualified:            #11  5.599 253.66                        #6  5.440 263.82

This is the first time Hirata and Force have faced each other in eliminations.

Hirata can't wait for the green and leaves -0.044 before he should.

Force does improve on her prior times, but gets a free pass to round two.

Courtney Force's incremental margins: 60ft(0.031), 330 ft(0.101), 660ft(0.152), 1,000ft(0.218). MOV: 0.3311 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Dave Hirata's incremental times: 60ft-1.003 sec., 330ft-2.625, 660ft-3.855/204.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.908.
Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.997 sec., 330ft-2.546, 660ft-3.731/212.33 mph, 1,000ft-4.727.

3:18 p.m. Kosky with lane choice in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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