Sat, 08 Feb 2014, 15:47 PM Competition Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  717 Mike DePalma                         6618 Dale Giroux                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.055  9.716  99.87                    -0.032  7.434 137.60
         C/T Index: 8.81 (+/-):  0.906            B/AA Index: 7.57 (+/-): -0.136
 Qualified:             #2  8.152 -0.658                       #11  6.996 -0.574

11:56 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 61 degrees, relative humidity 55 percent, barometer 29.13 inches, adjusted altitude 1,570 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Giroux goes red and DePalma clicks it early to save any CIC hit.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  705 Tony Mandella                        7235 Scott McClay                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.029  9.112 126.39                     0.160 10.501  72.22
       I/SMA Index: 9.58 (+/-): -0.468            C/ED Index: 7.83 (+/-):  2.671
 Qualified:             #9  8.986 -0.594                       #18 12.761  4.931

McClay has struggled in qualifying and he is late to boot. The dragster shakes the tire and moves towards the center line. he wisely shuts it off.

Easy win for Mandella.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7298 Scott Hedlund                        6857 Ralph Van Paepeghem          
E1   ****WINNER****  0.088  7.755 170.34                     0.066  7.312 180.40
        A/SM Index: 8.35 (+/-): -0.595            A/EA Index: 7.84 (+/-): -0.528
 Qualified:             #3  7.704 -0.646                       #12  7.267 -0.573

Scott Hedlund gives up some starting line and takes a CIC hit to get the win. MOV: 0.0457 seconds (approximately 12 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 769Y Joshua Lee                           7098 Tom Mettler                  
E1                   0.063  9.052 141.65     ****WINNER****  0.008  7.424 166.99
        H/EA Index: 9.61 (+/-): -0.558             PST Index: 7.99 (+/-): -0.566
 Qualified:            #15  9.072 -0.538                        #6  7.363 -0.627

Mettler nails the tree with a great 0.008 RT and runs down Lee for the win. He'll take some CIC into round two, where he will meet DePalma.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
  610 John Edwards                            3 Jeff Lane                    
E1                  -0.031 13.777  61.90     ****WINNER****  0.051  9.343 104.59
        C/AA Index: 7.91 (+/-):  5.867           C/SMA Index: 8.73 (+/-):  0.613
 Qualified:            #10  7.319 -0.591                        #1  8.058 -0.672

Jeff Lane gets the bye run next round! MOV: opponent's red light.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   75 Dean Carter                             1 Alan Ellis                   
E1                   0.008  7.598 133.08     ****WINNER****  0.005  6.798 160.18
        B/ND Index: 7.56 (+/-):  0.038            A/AP Index: 7.22 (+/-): -0.422
 Qualified:            #14  7.006 -0.554                        #5  6.591 -0.629

Ellis takes his first step towards another World Championship with an easy win. Carter has a strong 0.008 RT and then slows down track.

Ellis races Mandella next round.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7063 Mark Lelchook                          67 Aaron Strong                 
E1                   0.035  7.388 177.28     ****WINNER****  0.110  8.089 166.15
        D/DA Index: 7.92 (+/-): -0.532             B/T Index: 8.75 (+/-): -0.661
 Qualified:            #16  7.423 -0.497                        #7  8.132 -0.618

Aaron Strong is late at the green and it costs him a permanent CIC hit on Monday to get the win. MOV: 0.0542 seconds (approximately 14 feet).

He races Hedlund in round two.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
   74 Tyler Hogan                           710 Doug Lambeck                 
E1                   0.021  7.040 189.79     ****WINNER****  0.067  8.337 161.44
        C/DA Index: 7.56 (+/-): -0.520           D/SMA Index: 8.94 (+/-): -0.603
 Qualified:            #13  7.002 -0.558                        #4  8.308 -0.632

Lambeck tickles at a permanent CIC hit too. MOV: 0.0375 seconds (approximately 10 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET-- Speed
 7771 Ed Sigmon                            1781 Dan Fletcher                 
E1                   0.031  8.398 155.01     ****WINNER****  0.050  8.004 162.59
        C/SR Index: 8.99 (+/-): -0.592            C/EA Index: 8.62 (+/-): -0.616
 Qualified:            #17  8.561 -0.429                        #8  8.008 -0.612

Dan Fletcher dips into the sixty under range too, as Sigmon fixed what ever qualifying problems he had earlier. MOV: 0.0058 seconds (approximately 16 inches).

12:10 p.m. He races Lambeck next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Feb 13- NHRA and FOX Sports Announce TV Schedule for NHRA's 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 12- 75th Anniversary Celebration Kickoff at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 10- Wally Parks 75th Anniversary Appreciation Fund Part of $27 Million Overall Purse
Feb 08- NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Drag Racing League Releases 2026 Schedule
Feb 07- Huge List of Legends Set to Appear at Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals
Feb 05- NHRA and Legends Global Extend Merchandise Partnership Ahead of 75th Anniversary Season
Feb 04- Doug Foley Announces Addition of Ron Douglas as Consultant to Foley Lewis Racing Top Fuel Team
Feb 04- Tickets Now on Sale for NHRA's Debut at U.S. 131 Motorsports Park and Rockingham Dragway
Feb 04- Reed, Zetterström to Share Driving Duties of Reed Trucking & Excavating Top Fuel Dragster
Jan 29- NHRA to Honor Iconic John Force in 2027 with "50 Years Of Force"