Sat, 15 Nov 2014, 17:56 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  748 Cameron Ferre                         611 Garrett Bateman              
E1   ****WINNER****  0.058  5.293 274.94                     0.061  5.364 270.48
 Qualified:             #7  5.330 273.33                       #10  5.355 270.21

2:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 52 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,545 feet, track temperature 86 degrees.

Ferre is off the line first in the RACEPK dragster and pulls steadily ahead to take the decisive win. Bateman ran close to his qualifying times, but way no match.

Cameron Ferre's incremental margins: 60ft(0.006), 330 ft(0.020), 660ft(0.033), 1,000ft(0.054). MOV: 0.0742 seconds (approximately 29 feet).

Cameron Ferre's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.437, 660ft-3.557/224.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.490.
Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.454, 660ft-3.587/221.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.541.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  765 Duane Shields                         613 Joey Severance               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.060  5.410 260.91                    -0.004  9.882 102.05
 Qualified:             #9  5.337 266.42                        #8  5.336 266.21

Severance goes red by just -0.004 and Shields take the win. His Peak dragster is a little off pace, but still gets to play next round.

Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.976 sec., 330ft-2.484, 660ft-3.595/223.95 mph, 1,000ft-4.560.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  724 Casey Grisel                          489 Chase Copeland               
E1                   0.060  5.606 260.76     ****WINNER****  0.094  5.255 270.05
 Qualified:            #16  5.474 263.82                        #1  5.227 271.84

Grisel gets a nice head start and holds off a charging Copeland until after the 330 lights. It's all Copeland after that, as she can't keep the pace.

He will race Shields with lane choice in round two. Chase Copeland's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.005), 330 ft(0.099), 660ft(0.211), 1,000ft(0.284). MOV: 0.3175 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.531, 660ft-3.743/207.11 mph, 1,000ft-4.751.
Chase Copeland's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.498/225.22 mph, 1,000ft-4.433.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   17 Dan Mercier                           681 Shawn Cowie                  
E1                   0.084  6.384 166.31     ****WINNER****  0.098  5.293 271.35
 Qualified:            #15  5.473 271.24                        #2  5.269 271.79

Mercier gets the starting line advantage, but loses traction right after the 60 foot lights. Cowie makes another killer pass and storms on down the track for the easy win.

He faces Ferre in round two and will give up lane choice to his better speed.

Shawn Cowie's incremental margins: 60ft(0.040), 330 ft(0.271), 660ft(0.347), 1,000ft(0.630). MOV: 1.0774 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Dan Mercier's incremental times: 60ft-0.957 sec., 330ft-2.642, 660ft-3.855/194.16 mph, 1,000ft-5.110.
Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.903 sec., 330ft-2.357, 660ft-3.494/217.74 mph, 1,000ft-4.466.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  888 Fred Hanssen                          717 Aaron Olivarez               
E1                   0.141  5.868 179.28     ****WINNER****  0.031  5.348 271.08
 Qualified:             #4  5.308 269.83                       #13  5.419 268.65

Olivarez picks the right time to find his missing power and runs the table on incrementals and RT for the decisive win.

Hanssen is late at the green and slows a bunch from his prior best passes.

Fred Hanssen's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.414, 660ft-3.567/212.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.697.
Aaron Olivarez's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.577/224.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.524.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   14 Jackie Fricke                         487 Mark Taliaferro              
E1                   0.041  8.049 114.30     ****WINNER****  0.118  5.344 266.69
 Qualified:            #11  5.378 269.08                        #6  5.317 270.27

Frike shakes the tires at the green and slows.

Taliaferro uses a lot of track getting to the finish line, after a late start. It costs him some ET and a bunch of speed.

Mark Taliaferro's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.354, 660ft-3.503/212.93 mph, 1,000ft-4.500.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7590 Ross Stickler                           2 Chris Demke                  
E1                   0.070  5.596 251.44     ****WINNER****  0.080  5.291 270.43
 Qualified:            #14  5.448 263.31                        #3  5.277 269.67

A little shake for Stickler after a better start, but he can't keep the pace.

Demke makes his fastest pass of the weekend and makes it look easy. He will keep lane choice over Taliaferro in round two.

Chris Demke's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.005), 330 ft(0.096), 660ft(0.173), 1,000ft(0.240). MOV: 0.2951 seconds (more than 100 feet).

Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.915 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.671/202.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.712.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.488/217.81 mph, 1,000ft-4.462.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  144 Tripp Tatum                            77 Megan McKernan               
E1   ****WINNER****  0.067  5.387 270.81                     0.053  5.505 264.03
 Qualified:             #5  5.309 273.50                       #12  5.411 270.37

McKernan gets a nice RT advantage, but Tatum is quickly on by before the sixty foot lights. He pulls steadily ahead for win. Both cars are a little off their prior pace.

He will give up lane choice to Olivarez in round two.

Tripp Tatum's incremental margins: 60ft(0.016), 330 ft(0.023), 660ft(0.065), 1,000ft(0.090). MOV: 0.1040 seconds (approximately 40 feet).

2:46 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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