Sat, 10 Jul 2010, 09:24 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual NHRA Northwest Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  613 Joey Severance                       703D Kyle Rizzoli                 
E1                   0.057  5.942 159.49     ****WINNER****  0.048  5.616 252.33
 Qualified:             #4  5.382 264.29                        #9  5.515 266.00

5:31 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.62 inches, adjusted altitude 241,000 feet, track temperature 1414 degrees.

Rizzoli gets a small lead off the line and then watches Severance march on past and start to pull steadily ahead. Right before the 1000ft lights the blower goes Bang and Rizzoli sneaks back by for the win.

Kyle Rizzoli's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.046), 330 ft(-0.138), 660ft(-0.188), 1,000ft(-0.041). MOV: 0.3356 seconds (approximately 79 feet).

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.370, 660ft-3.524/212.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.689.
Kyle Rizzoli's incremental times: 60ft-0.970 sec., 330ft-2.517, 660ft-3.721/207.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.739.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Shawn Cowie                          7388 Art Trautman                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.053  5.362 265.74                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #2  5.327 267.69                       #11  6.679 225.86

Another blower vs. fueler match up.

Troutman's car won't back up after the burnout and he drives the car slowly down the track. That gives Cowie a single into round two.

He makes a try for lane choice and it's expensive. He has a little shake at the shift and drives through it. Near the lights, smoke starts to come out of the pipes and he slows.

The call goes out that there is oil in the shutdown area.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.383, 660ft-3.534/214.55 mph, 1,000ft-4.522.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  777 Mark Niver                            712 Larry Miersch                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.086  5.517 264.91                    -0.201  5.469 255.48
 Qualified:             #3  5.341 270.05                       #10  5.524 241.97

Two fuelers this time after a time out for dusting and cleaning.

Looks like have lost the TV feed, so it's back to reading the numbers and listening to the track announcers in the Bat Cave.

Miersch goes -0.201 red and then outruns Niver on the track. Ouch!

Niver gets the free pass to round two and will have lane choice over Rizzoli.

Mark Niver's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.687/212.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.675.
Larry Miersch's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.452, 660ft-3.609/216.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.601.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  744 Courtney Force                         69 Mike Austin                  
E1                   0.087  5.583 223.65     ****WINNER****  0.019  5.425 262.69
 Qualified:             #6  5.410 260.81                        #7  5.421 263.51

Austin won the last Div. 7 race at Fallon, NV.

The TV is back.

Whoa! Austin gets the advantage off the starting line and pulls steadily ahead all the way down the track for the easy win. He runs close to his qualifying time

Force's day gets even worse near the 1000 foot lights, when the right rear tire blows and tears one third of the big wing off the car. The chutes are out quickly, but she has her hands full corralling the wilding swerving dragster back and forth across the lane before getting it safely stopped. She is out of the car and fine. The car, not so much...

Courtney Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.985 sec., 330ft-2.517, 660ft-3.672/216.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.656.
Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.566/211.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.570.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  745 Brittany Force                         64 Dale Carlson                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.124  5.652 253.85                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #5  5.396 262.79                        #8  5.422 262.49

6:13 p.m. After a long delay, Carlson's car is not wanting to start. they try different starters to no avail. After Force back up from her burnout, she is given the single run sign.

Force was even more lucky, as the engine has cylinder out at the hit and grumbles its way down the track.

She gives up lane choice to Cowie in round two.

Brittany Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.967 sec., 330ft-2.551, 660ft-3.754/207.53 mph, 1,000ft-4.774.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  667 Bill Edwards Jr.                        7 Chris Demke                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.254  5.319 270.37
 Qualified:            #12  7.667 112.08                        #1  5.322 270.10

Edwards can't make the call and Demke will get a single into round two. The winner there will get a single into the final.

The tune up is set on kill and they run the quickest run of the weekend on their single.

6:20 p.m. He will have lane choice over Austin in the next session.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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