Sun, 13 Nov 2011, 16:01 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 2 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, 47th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  765 Bernie Harrington                     799 Sean Bellemeur               
E2                   0.138  5.811 244.74     ****WINNER****  0.022  5.688 255.34
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Bateman   ) 0.080  6.992 141.59      (D Gordon    ) 0.040  5.708 254.23
 Qualified:            #14  5.762 249.53                       #11  5.688 254.86

12:46 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.77 inches, adjusted altitude 2,778 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

This is the first time Harrington and Bellemeur have faced each other in national event eliminations.

Bellemeur had a great light, Harrington was late. Bellemeur matched his qualifying pace for an easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Sean O'Bannon                           3 Jay Payne                    
E2                   0.052  5.592 240.98     ****WINNER****  0.042  5.564 260.51
 Prior rounds:
E1    (F Tigges    ) 0.054  5.580 258.27      (J Ashwell   ) 0.072  5.617 259.96
 Qualified:             #4  5.589 255.92                        #5  5.590 261.22

O'Bannon is 3 - 2 against Payne in prior national events.

Good drag race...Payne had a hundredth in hand at the tree, picked up two more enroute to the stripe on a hard top-end charge.

Jay Payne's incremental margins: 60ft(0.004), 330 ft(0.008), 660ft(0.008), 1,000ft(0.011). MOV: 0.0387 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   34 Paul Gill                            7976 Keeter Ray                   
E2                   0.081  5.770 258.47     ****WINNER****  0.152  5.639 255.05
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Gasparrell) 0.167  5.528 261.83      (S Westerfiel) 0.075  5.695 249.03
 Qualified:             #1  5.504 262.59                        #8  5.635 255.48

Gill and Ray have each won 1 times against the other in prior events.

Gill has been consistently in the low fifties all weekend, up until this round. His car chattered the tires for the first 100 feet and, even with a leisurely light, Ray easily took the lead and pulled away for the win. Ray faces Payne in the semifinals, Payne has lane choice.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Tony Bartone                           72 John Lombardo Jr.            
E2                   0.097  5.594 236.22     ****WINNER****  0.051  5.599 260.26
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Hool      ) 0.063  5.504 262.85      (C Thompson  ) 0.050  5.681 259.06
 Qualified:             #2  5.546 262.28                        #7  5.628 258.76

Bartone is 4 - 1 against Lombardo Jr. in prior events.

Lombardo had several hundredths in hand with a good light, then Bartone's car took the long route to the finish line, getting way left of the groove, and slowed in the final stretch, trailing lots of white smoke. Lombardo was on time and went right down the groove g=for a holeshot win and lane choice against Bellemeur in the semifinals.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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