Sat, 13 Sep 2014, 18:44 PM Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Larry Sullivan

CONCORD, N.C. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, Seventh annual Pep Boys NHRA Carolina Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Shane Westerfield                     500 Dale Brand                   
E1                   0.043  5.776 255.77     ****WINNER****  0.047  5.636 259.36
 Qualified:            #10  5.675 256.70                        #7  5.641 260.06

6:11 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 81 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.35 inches, adjusted altitude 3,070 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

These two left the line just thousandths apart, but Brand steadily pulled away after that for a surprisingly easy win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  331 Tony Bogolo                             4 Annie Whiteley               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.087  6.045 235.89                     0.103 No Time      
 Qualified:            #11  5.708 251.77                        #6  5.637 257.24

Whiteley quickly pulled away from Bogolo at the start and had a huge lead at 330 feet, but her car started drifting to the left and she took out the 660-foot timing blocks, DQ'ing her run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   15 DJ Cox Jr.                            194 Mickey Ferro                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.047  5.718 250.88                    -0.026  6.217 187.03
 Qualified:            #12  5.716 251.72                        #5  5.627 258.22

This is the first time Cox Jr. and Ferro have faced each other in eliminations.

Ferro went red and Cox advanced to round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1002 Tyler Scott                             5 Dan Pomponio                 
E1                   0.054 21.404  23.37     ****WINNER****  0.086  5.643 256.41
 Qualified:            #13  5.858 242.58                        #4  5.610 254.23

This is the first time Scott and Pomponio have faced each other in eliminations.

Scott went into immediate tire shake and lifted. Pomponio made a nice, straight run for the win. He will have lane choice against Cox in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  226 Melinda Green-King                      7 Jay Payne                    
E1                   0.034  5.777 248.89     ****WINNER****  0.075  5.633 259.96
 Qualified:            #15  5.889 247.29                        #2  5.562 262.90

This is the first time Green-King and Payne have faced each other in eliminations.

Green-King had the early advantage, but Payne led shortly after the 330-foot marker and pulled away to win by over a car length.

Payne will have lane choice against Brand in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1625 Marie Ferriolo                          2 John Lombardo Jr.            
E1                   0.405  5.721 252.28     ****WINNER****  0.109  5.557 260.01
 Qualified:            #16  5.950 196.93                        #1  5.553 261.57

Lombardo ran low ET of the round, almost matching his qualifying pace.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  806 Steve Harker                         2063 Mark Rogers                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.148  5.620 260.61                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #3  5.593 260.51                       #14  5.880 242.89

Rogers left before the tree. Harker made a nice run, will have lane choice against Bogolo in round 2.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1483 Matt Gill                               9 Todd Veney                   
E1   ****WINNER****  0.414  5.721 256.26                           No Time      
 Qualified:             #8  5.655 256.36                        #9  5.674 253.33

Veney made the burnout, then was shut off and pushed back. Gill made a good run, but won't have lane choice against Lombardo in round 2.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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