Thu, 07 Feb 2019, 16:05 PM Competition Eliminator Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Competition Eliminator at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 59th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals presented by ProtectTheHarvest.com listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, amount over/under index, and position in order following run, class and class index:

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Left Lane: Jarrod Granier Runs 8.695/144.75/-0.405, Now #1 E/SM Index: 9.10
Right Lane: Alan Freese No Time, Now #2 F/SMA Index: 9.26

12:47 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 64 degrees, relative humidity 25 percent, barometer 29.10 inches, adjusted altitude 1,560 feet, track temperature 82 degrees.

Freeze just sits in the lights at the green for about ten seconds and then drives slowly down the track. He won't get a time.

Granier gets a clean pass to tune to.

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Left Lane: John Clegg Runs 8.283/159.46/0.733, Now #3 CC/A Index: 7.55
Right Lane: Mike Pessemier Runs 7.344/132.15/0.354, Now #2 B/D Index: 6.99

Pessemier has a good leave and runs well to about half track and then slows.

Clegg's Firebird was last off the line and had a lot of smoke from under the car down track.

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Left Lane: Ralph Van Paepeghem Runs 7.286/180.69/-0.524, Now #1 A/EA Index: 7.81
Right Lane:Josh Lee Runs 9.066/129.93/-0.424, Now #2 H/EA Index: 9.49

Van Paepeghem gives us our first competitive time and takes the top spot.

Lee gets a clean pass.

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Left Lane: Ed Federkeil Jr Runs 7.355/149.20/-0.265, Now #4 B/AA Index: 7.62
Right Lane: Ed Sigmon Runs 9.127/118.06/0.097, Now #5 C/SR Index: 9.03

Federkeil's Avenger drives right towards the wall at the hit and slows.

Sigmon left well and then slowed too.

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Left Lane: Scott McClay Runs 7.203/182.03/-0.667, Now #2 C/ED Index: 7.87
Right Lane: Tom Mettler Runs 7.293/185.10/-0.677, Now #1 PST Index: 7.97

McClay has his hands full off the line and has the dragster driving around a bunch, but stays after it and drives right to our first sixty under and the number two spot.

Mettler was straight and clean to take the top spot for now.

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Left Lane: Kevin Carter Runs 10.093/79.79/2.533, Now #11 B/ND Index: 7.56
Right Lane: Doug Lambeck Runs 8.400/135.89/-0.540, Now #3 D/SMA Index: 8.94

Carter hikes up the front wheel at the green and then has the dragster drive hard towards the centerline. He has to lift and coasts on down.

Clean pass for Lambeck into the number three spot.

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Left Lane: Ross Wilson Runs 8.272/165.78/-0.548, Now #4 C/SM Index: 8.82
Right Lane: Ryan Warter Runs 8.613/161.52/-0.667, Now #3 F/SM Index: 9.28

Two strong passes and Warter gets the best of it and takes the final #3 spot.

1:00 p.m. Field not filled, no bump spot.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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