Sun, 13 Nov 2011, 16:17 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster 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
  256 Blake Alexander                       663 Ray Martin                   
E2                   0.172  5.349 273.00     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.430 267.16
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M McKernan  ) 0.080  5.427 271.90      (C Copeland  ) 0.049  5.425 264.70
 Qualified:            #13  5.521 261.37                       #12  5.398 265.17

12:58 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 45 percent, barometer 28.77 inches, adjusted altitude 2,778 feet, track temperature 92 degrees.

This is the first time Alexander and Martin have faced each other in eliminations.

Alexander is dead late and throws away a terrific pass to Martin.OUCH!!

Martin slows a little from his prior best to take the easy win.

Ray Martin's incremental margins: 60ft(0.131), 330 ft(0.163), 660ft(0.121), 1,000ft(0.083). MOV: 0.0608 seconds (approximately 24 feet).

Blake Alexander's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.441, 660ft-3.570/221.45 mph, 1,000ft-4.529.
Ray Martin's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.419, 660ft-3.590/211.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.587.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  613 Joey Severance                        487 Mark Taliaferro              
E2                   0.008  5.409 265.12     ****WINNER****  0.038  5.311 278.23
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Finke     ) 0.156  5.444 264.65      (J Ahten     ) 0.033  5.386 274.83
 Qualified:            #14  5.747 246.48                       #11  5.344 280.89

This is the first time Severance and Taliaferro have faced each other in eliminations. Severance must win to stay in the Championship hunt.

He does his part with a terrific 0.008 light. The car lets him down, as Taliaferro gets on by just before the 1000 foot lights.

Mark Taliaferro's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.064), 330 ft(-0.071), 660ft(-0.022), 1,000ft(0.031). MOV: 0.0687 seconds (approximately 27 feet).

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.408, 660ft-3.566/213.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.562.
Mark Taliaferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.449, 660ft-3.558/228.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.501.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    8 Duane Shields                         471 Aaron Tatum                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.094  5.432 264.70                    -0.025  5.378 263.31
 Prior rounds:
E1    (M Manners   ) 0.053  5.422 267.00                     0.042  5.335 266.42
 Qualified:             #8  5.333 266.90                        #1  5.253 271.68

This is the first time Shields and Tatum have faced each other in eliminations.

Duane Shields is the new 2011 Top Alcohol Dragster Champion!

Tatum goes red and gives Demke a free pass to the next round. He gets in trouble off the line and has to slap the pedal to get the car under control. That costs him lane choice to Martin by 0.002.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Jim Whiteley                            2 Chris Demke                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.087  5.295 269.08                     0.127  5.353 268.71
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Brown     ) 0.068  5.294 269.19      (C Perkins   ) 0.056  5.369 265.64
 Qualified:             #2  5.307 269.89                       #10  5.343 267.53

Whiteley is 6 - 2 against Demke in prior events.

Demke is really late off the line, but Whiteley takes no chances to make the quickest pass of the session. He will have lane choice over Taliaferro next round.

Jim Whiteley's incremental margins: 60ft(0.082), 330 ft(0.087), 660ft(0.092), 1,000ft(0.096). MOV: 0.0988 seconds (approximately 39 feet).

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.345, 660ft-3.483/216.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.460.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.535/217.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.516.

1:11 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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