Fri, 09 Nov 2018, 16:06 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By Rick Green

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 54th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Fred Hanssen Runs 5.519/267.27, Now #10; Best prior run: 15.344/50.54, Was #18
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 8.922/98.02, Now #16; Best prior run: 15.181/67.36, Was #17

Weather conditions: air temperature 78 degrees, relative humidity 10 percent, barometer 28.90 inches, adjusted altitude 2,625 feet, track temperature 104 degrees.

Hanssen made a quick move toward the centerline, he stayed with it and reeled it in to move to the number 10 spot.

Ahten with tire shake right early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 6.242/259.76, Now #16; Best prior run: 12.728/70.98, Was #18
Right Lane: Shane Conway Runs 5.353/267.32, Now #7; Best prior run: 10.811/81.60, Was #17

Fricke was up in smoke right at the hit, but she pedaled it to get into the show on the bubble.

Conway was straight down the groove with a real nice pass to get into the top half of the show.

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Left Lane: James Stevens No Time, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.412/101.53, Was #17
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.373/276.01, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.806/248.20, Was #15

Stevens car didn't move after the light turned green.

St. Arnaud launched hard and kept it hooked up to move into the top half of the show. Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.474, 660ft-3.611/221.45 mph, 1,000ft-4.562.

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Left Lane: Tiffany Januik No Time, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.779/230.53, Was #15
Right Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.534/257.24, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.729/253.04, Was #14

Januik was up in smoke right at the hit and she pedaled it and then she gets real side and makes a move toward the centerline. She has the car up on two wheels as she is reeling it back into her lane, but collects the cones.

Baldwin was on a good pass until right in the lights when it started to drop cylinders. She moves up the ladder one spot. Krista Baldwin's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.503, 660ft-3.675/214.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.670.

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Left Lane: Kim Parker Runs 5.296/271.79, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.542/263.72, Was #14
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.523/257.14, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.466/258.96, Was #11

Parker launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number five spot with the quickest pass of the session. Kim Parker's incremental times: 60ft-0.954 sec., 330ft-2.433, 660ft-3.540/226.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.480.

Grisel with a clean pass, but will not improve.

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Left Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.514/259.76, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.404/262.90, Was #11
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.319/273.00, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.327/273.94, Was #6

Eakins has a hole out right at the hit, but stays with it and will stay in the number 11 spot. Randy Eakins' incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.486, 660ft-3.656/213.06 mph, 1,000ft-4.655.

Shields is straight down the groove with a nice looking pass, but will stay in the number six spot. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.561/225.97 mph, 1,000ft-4.504.

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Left Lane: Derik Milanesio Runs 16.071/71.51, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.374/270.27, Was #10
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 11.156/72.66, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.266/277.37, Was #4

Milanesio is up in smoke right at the hit and clicks it off.

Bateman with severe tire shake and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.298/277.37, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.333/274.83, Was #7
Right Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.363/277.43, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.232/279.79, Was #3

Mercier launched hard and kept it hooked up to move up the ladder one spot. Dan Mercier's incremental times: 60ft-0.931 sec., 330ft-2.421, 660ft-3.546/224.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.489. He runs the second quickest pass of the session.

Nataas with another good pass, but will not improve. Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.500, 660ft-3.621/224.85 mph, 1,000ft-4.559.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.247/276.35, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.204/277.83, Was #1
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.203/280.54, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.226/281.36, Was #2

This is a great drag race to warp up round two of qualifying.

Severance with another great pass, straight down the groove with the second quickest pass of the session. Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.892 sec., 330ft-2.357, 660ft-3.480/221.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.435.

Cowie launched hard and kept it hitting on all eight to go to the number one spot. He has big top end speed again today. Yesterday he ran the second fastest pass for an injected car, and today he ties his third fastest pass. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.924 sec., 330ft-2.352, 660ft-3.459/224.43 mph, 1,000ft-4.403.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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