POMONA 1 - Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Notes, Session #2

Search for

DRC home :: Events :: Feedback :: Wallpaper :: Advanced Search


			Summit NHRA Events

<< Back To Search Result

Sat, 13 Feb 2016, 15:15 PM

Top Fuel Harley Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Larry Sullivan

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Fuel Harley at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 56th annual Circle K NHRA Winternationals listing lane, rider name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

Left Lane: Len Darnell Runs 10.915/105.38, Now #6; No Prior Run

Weather conditions: air temperature 76 degrees, relative humidity 31 percent, barometer 28.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,636 feet, track temperature 105 degrees.

Darnell did not get down the track yesterday, will make it a seven-bike field if he manages to do so today. So far, nobody has managed to make a representative pass.

Well, he's got a time, but the engine went sour almost immediately and he coasted most of the way to the stripe.

Left Lane: Kevin Boyer Runs 10.759/85.40, Now #4; Best prior run: 9.399/92.74, Was #4
Right Lane: Mike Pelrine Runs 9.412/126.97, Now #5; Best prior run: 11.332/69.67, Was #7

Both these two are capable of running in the mid-sixes if they hit the tuneup, but the Nitro Harleys are notoriously difficult to tune and either make strong runs or sputter and die.

Boyer had to back off, his bike headed for the d]=centerline markers. Pelrine launched, the engine started sputtering about 300 feet out.

Left Lane: Julian Seaman Runs 7.468/200.38, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.957/182.72, Was #3
Right Lane: Craig Pelrine Runs 6.672/189.47, Now #1; No Prior Run

That's more like it, Pelrine had the front wheel in the air a long way down the track. It was far from a full pass, but it was the best we've seen so far. Seaman struggled with traction, but once he got it hooked up, the engine pulled hard.

Julian Seaman's incremental times: 60ft-1.438 sec., 330ft-3.536, 660ft-5.070/163.51 mph, 1,000ft-6.366.
Craig Pelrine's incremental times: 60ft-1.145 sec., 330ft-2.914, 660ft-4.302/177.91 mph, 1,000ft-5.533.

Left Lane: Tony Ruggiero Runs 11.254/125.40, Now #4; Best prior run: 7.672/198.79, Was #3
Right Lane: Ron Gledhill Runs 7.069/172.23, Now #2; Best prior run: 7.784/127.34, Was #4

Last pair. Ruggerio's bike smoked the tire hard, then the engine started sputtering with no load. Gledhill made a good run to about half track, then the engine went sour.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink