Fri, 16 Jul 2010, 07:26 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

SONOMA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 23rd annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed this round, amount over/under index this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time, speed & over/under Index, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Tom Brown Runs 8.336/156.14/-0.454, Now #14; F/ED Index: 8.79, Prior Best: 8.337/157.63/-0.453, Was #14
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 8.647/148.59/-0.443, Now #9; C/SR Index: 9.09, Prior Best: 8.570/152.12/-0.520, Was #9

3:58 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 82 degrees, relative humidity 47 percent, barometer 29.88 inches, adjusted altitude 2,227 feet.

It has continued to warm up since this morning's session. DePalma is #1 at -0.668 under and there is no bump spot.

Brown repeats to only 0.001 from his earlier pass, but Sigmon slows.

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Left Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 8.185/166.07/-0.485, Now #4; C/SMA Index: 8.67, Prior Best: 8.114/166.87/-0.556, Was #4
Right Lane: Tyler Hogan Runs 7.584/170.82/0.024, Now #17; C/DA Index: 7.56, Prior Best: 7.336/180.98/-0.224, Was #17

A double red light, but it doesn't count.

Both cars slow...

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Left Lane: John Edwards Runs 7.403/183.29/-0.557, Now #4; C/AA Index: 7.96, Prior Best: 7.458/182.60/-0.502, Was #12
Right Lane: Phil Cocuzza Runs 7.964/169.91/-0.556, Now #6; A/SMA Index: 8.52, Prior Best: 7.994/172.78/-0.526, Was #8

Two clean passes and both cars improve this time. Edwards gets the best of it with an eight spot move up the ladder. Cocuzza gets two.

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Left Lane: Brandon Huhtala Runs 7.663/146.21/-0.297, Now #2; C/A Index: 7.96, Prior Best: 7.395/172.89/-0.565, Was #2
Right Lane: Steve Graham Runs 7.397/183.29/-0.563, Now #4; C/A Index: 7.96, Prior Best: 7.421/183.07/-0.539, Was #7

Graham finds some power and moves up three spots on the ladder to the new #4 spot. Huhtala gets way down track before slowing.

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Left Lane: Brian Moscini Runs 7.446/181.23/-0.514, Now #11; C/AA Index: 7.96, Prior Best: 7.453/181.84/-0.507, Was #12
Right Lane: Dean Carter Runs 7.085/185.82/-0.445, Now #8; B/ND Index: 7.53, Prior Best: 6.999/186.38/-0.531, Was #8

Clean and straight pass for both cars, but only Moscini can improve.

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Left Lane: Casey Plaizier Runs 8.255/165.68/-0.415, Now #15; B/SMA Index: 8.67, Prior Best: 8.330/163.83/-0.340, Was #16
Right Lane: Alan Ellis Runs 7.065/200.98/-0.085, Now #19; A/AA Index: 7.15, Prior Best: 8.642/119.72/1.492, Was #21

Much better pass for Ellis and he moves into the new #19 spot. Plaizier picks up one too.

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Left Lane: J.D. Zink Runs 6.969/188.86/-0.451, Now #16; A/ND Index: 7.42, No Prior Run
Right Lane: Randy Jones Runs 7.976/169.44/-0.544, Now #8; A/SMA Index: 8.52, Prior Best: 9.812/87.19/1.292, Was #21

Zink was DQ'ed in session one when he just crossed over the centerline. and Jones had a broken run.

Both cars get from start to finish without an issue and move well into the field.

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Left Lane: Mike DePalma Runs 8.221/161.09/-0.599, Now #1; C/T Index: 8.82, Prior Best: 8.152/162.94/-0.668, Was #1
Right Lane: Justin Lamb Runs 8.772/151.37/-0.558, Now #5; G/SMA Index: 9.33, Prior Best: 9.128/109.72/-0.202, Was #20

Lamb gets to the finish line under power and moves way up to the current #5 spot with a huge wheelstand.

DePalma's pass wasn't as good as his earlier one, but would still get him #1 on the ladder.

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Left Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.781/126.96/-0.189, Now #11; D/SMA Index: 8.97, Prior Best: 8.442/159.02/-0.528, Was #11
Right Lane: Jim Cowan Runs 8.493/139.62/-0.267, Now #20; I/AA Index: 8.76, Prior Best: 10.924/105.14/2.164, Was #23

Major ET improvement for Cowan, but only three spots on the ladder. Lambeck is out of it early.

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Left Lane: Glen Treadwell Runs 8.163/134.58/-0.367, Now #3; F/EA Index: 8.53, Prior Best: 7.966/151.12/-0.564, Was #3
Right Lane: Jeff Lane Runs 8.243/163.14/-0.427, Now #18; B/SMA Index: 8.67, Prior Best: 9.120/100.34/0.450, Was #23

Lane gets a full pass with a big wheels up leave and five spots on the ladder.

No joy for Treadwell.

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Left Lane: Tom Mettler Runs 7.427/182.26/-0.543, Now #10; PST Index: 7.97, Prior Best: 7.458/183.05/-0.512, Was #14
Right Lane: Matt Hartford Runs 6.754/204.85/-0.376, Now #20; A/DA Index: 7.13, Prior Best: 6.717/204.48/-0.413, Was #20

Ouch! That has to hurt. Major tire shake for the A/DA and no improvement.

Mettler gets a little ET improvement, but four positions towards the top.

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Right Lane: Dan Fletcher Runs 12.861/95.60/4.521, Now #15; B/EA Index: 8.34, Prior Best: 7.867/151.56/-0.473, Was #15

Well, that was weird!

Fletcher stages and leaves on high RPM and then it sounded like his foot slipped off the pedal, as the car struggles off the line.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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