Sat, 10 Jul 2010, 10:02 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

KENT, Wash. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car 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
   73 Doug Gordon                                Bye
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  5.750 208.20     
 Qualified:             #1  5.624 259.26                     Bye

Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 46 percent, barometer 29.62 inches, adjusted altitude 241,000 feet, track temperature 114 degrees.

Gordon gets the Bye Run and its expensive as the blower goes bang down track and slows.

Doug Gordon's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.698/205.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.735.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Steve Gasparrelli                      63 Clint Thompson               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.069  5.638 257.87                     0.058  5.751 244.12
 Qualified:             #2  5.639 257.58                       #13  6.087 158.20

Thompson gets the advantage off the line and stays there until right at the 330 lights. Gasparrelli drives on by and pulls away for the big win. He'll get the Bye Run in round two.

It gets expensive for Thompson, as the engine expires after the 1000 foot lights and we have a lot of oil on the track.

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.038), 330 ft(0.003), 660ft(0.027), 1,000ft(0.059). MOV: 0.1023 seconds (approximately 37 feet).

Steve Gasparrelli's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.522, 660ft-3.733/204.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.765.
Clint Thompson's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.771/201.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.835.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   64 John Evanchuk                         757 Larry Miner                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.197  5.846 231.64                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #7  5.742 248.66                        #8  5.744 252.24

Minor is a no show and Evanchuk can't match his qualifying times to give lane choice to Gordon in the next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   62 Ken Webster                           799 Sean Bellemeur               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.084  5.745 252.19                     0.075  5.835 247.07
 Qualified:             #6  5.738 249.63                        #9  5.791 248.29

Bellemeur gets a small advantage off the line, but Webster is on by before the 330 lights to card a near thirty foot win. He slows a little form his earlier best.

Ken Webster's incremental margins: 60ft(0.020), 330 ft(0.025), 660ft(0.042), 1,000ft(0.061). MOV: 0.0811 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

Ken Webster's incremental times: 60ft-0.969 sec., 330ft-2.563, 660ft-3.802/200.05 mph, 1,000ft-4.855.
Sean Bellemeur's incremental times: 60ft-0.998 sec., 330ft-2.597, 660ft-3.853/196.82 mph, 1,000ft-4.925.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Sean O'Bannon                        6931 Jeff Ashwell                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.095  5.605 257.53                     0.091  5.864 242.50
 Qualified:             #5  5.664 256.55                       #10  5.797 245.14

Ashwell has a NAPA sponsorship, as well as Lombardo, and his small starting line advantage is quickly gone, as O'Bannon makes a strong pass to the finish line. He improves over his qualifying times and will be a contender for the rest of the field tomorrow.

Sean O'Bannon's incremental margins: 60ft(0.046), 330 ft(0.083), 660ft(0.142), 1,000ft(0.201). MOV: 0.2551 seconds (approximately 91 feet).

Sean O'Bannon's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.703/205.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.732.
Jeff Ashwell's incremental times: 60ft-0.996 sec., 330ft-2.583, 660ft-3.849/194.24 mph, 1,000ft-4.937.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   75 John Lombardo Jr.                     660 Jim Peters                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  5.614 256.02                     0.299  6.100 198.90
 Qualified:             #4  5.639 249.90                       #11  5.903 241.80

Another NAPA funny car in the left lane this time.

Peters is dead late and ensure that Lombardo gets a huge lead from start to finish.

Lombardo's Monte Carlo has a terrific pass and he too, improves on his qualifying time. It's not quite good enough though to keep lane choice over O'Bannon in the next round.

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental margins: 60ft(0.263), 330 ft(0.359), 660ft(0.437), 1,000ft(0.511). MOV: 0.6977 seconds (more than 100 feet).

John Lombardo Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.496, 660ft-3.704/205.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.737.
Jim Peters' incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.644, 660ft-3.930/193.07 mph, 1,000ft-5.037.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   61 Brian Hough                          6057 Dave Germain                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.097  5.639 254.81                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  5.639 254.90                       #12  5.931 241.41

The starter tell Germain's crew to raise the body again after the burnout and then tells them to shut off the engine.

Hough hammers the throttle and makes a strong full pass to get lane choice over Webster tomorrow.

Dave Germain's incremental margins: 60ft(0.263), 330 ft(0.359), 660ft(0.437), 1,000ft(0.511). MOV: 0.6977 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Brian Hough's incremental times: 60ft-99.999 sec., 330ft-99.999, 660ft-99.999/000.00 mph, 1,000ft-99.999.
Dave Germain's incremental times: 60ft-99.999 sec., 330ft-99.999, 660ft-99.999/000.00 mph, 1,000ft-99.999.

6:56 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Alcohol Funny Car Final, Round 4 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Competition Eliminator Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 06- LAS VEGAS - Top Dragster Final, Round 5 Eliminations
Nov 05- POMONA 2 - Event Preview
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Competition Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Stock
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Stock Eliminator
Nov 02- LAS VEGAS - Summary of Eliminations in Super Gas