Fri, 11 Nov 2011, 18:40 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 5.328/265.80, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.934/181.96, Was #14
Right Lane: Ray Martin Runs 5.398/265.17, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.587/258.22, Was #12

3:06 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 28.75 inches, adjusted altitude 2,457 feet, track temperature 78 degrees.

Field not filled, no bump spot.

Martin's crew jumps on the back of the dragster, as the chute pops out right before they were ready to start the engines. They stuff in back in in time, as the call goes out to start the engines.

Two straight and true passes to start the final session and they are good ones. Martin picks up a ton of ET and MPH, but will have to settle for #12 for now.

Perkins finally gets a full pass and makes the most of it. Starting with a nice 0.914 sixty foot time, The Utah racer takes the car to the top half of the field in the new #6 spot.

Cody Perkins' incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.344, 660ft-3.491/214.38 mph, 1,000ft-4.483.
Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.553/212.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.551.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 7.063/91.17, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.747/246.48, Was #14
Right Lane: Blake Alexander Runs 5.632/261.98, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.521/261.37, Was #13

Severance stumbled in the last session. The car runs a 0.893 sixtyfoot time and then bangs the blower hard near half track. They have to be sweating first round tomorrow.

Alexander doesn't improve and stays #13.

Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.974 sec., 330ft-2.544, 660ft-3.749/211.30 mph, 1,000ft-4.767.

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Left Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 5.423/273.88, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.344/280.89, Was #11
Right Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.607/270.81, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.334/277.66, Was #8

Both cars get to the finish line under power, but can't match their prior best.

Mark Taliaferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.506, 660ft-3.651/220.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.609.
Michael Manners' incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.562, 660ft-3.794/210.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.779.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.373/265.69, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.343/267.53, Was #10
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.376/257.28, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.333/266.90, Was #7

Two of Division Seven's finest come to the line.

Two strong five thirty seven passes. Just 0.003 apart.

Demke gets a small advantage at the green and has much better incrementals off the line. They are just 0.01 from each other at half track and continue to run side by side to the finish line. Neat!!

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.539/214.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.
Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.429, 660ft-3.549/224.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.515.

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Left Lane: John Finke Runs 5.309/260.81, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.339/260.66, Was #9
Right Lane: Chase Copeland Runs 5.660/216.55, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.326/278.29, Was #4

Terrific pass for Finke to jump all the way into the top half of the field in the new #3 spot.

Copeland slows from his prior best again and loses a spot to Fink. He is now #5.

John Finke's incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.388, 660ft-3.489/224.17 mph, 1,000ft-4.458.
Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.667/207.91 mph, 1,000ft-4.689.

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Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.439/245.18, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.327/253.56, Was #6
Right Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.338/269.35, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.316/271.24, Was #4

Both cars slow a little, but McKernan has another five thirty pass to stay #4.

Ahten was close initially and then slows from the 1000 foot on to stay #5.

Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.561/218.16 mph, 1,000ft-4.551.
Megan McKernan's incremental times: 60ft-0.939 sec., 330ft-2.427, 660ft-3.550/221.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.511.

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Left Lane: Aaron Tatum Runs 5.577/259.91, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.253/271.68, Was #1
Right Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.309/267.85, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.307/269.89, Was #2

Final pair to qualify and they are already #1 and #2.

Whiteley makes a strong pass to the finish line running just a little of his prior best. He stays #2, but has been a lot more consistent the the number one qualifier, Tatum. Whiteley runs a strong 0.905 sixty foot time and is clean all the way down the track.

Tatum gets off the line first and just not strong down low. The car runs clean to the lights, but slows a lot from earlier.

Aaron Tatum's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.536, 660ft-3.720/212.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.720.
Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.905 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.489/216.51 mph, 1,000ft-4.471.

3:37 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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