Fri, 13 Sep 2019, 13:30 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

MOHNTON, Pa. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 35th annual Mopar Express Lane NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Richard Bourke No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: Richard St. Pierre Runs 14.661/47.53, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 68 degrees, relative humidity 68 percent, barometer 29.82 inches, adjusted altitude 1,351 feet, track temperature 80 degrees.

Bourke couldn't get the car to fire.

St. Pierre shook right at the hit and clicked it off.

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Right Lane: Earl Nichols Jr. No Time, Now #2

Nichols was up in smoke right at the hit and then came to a stop on the track at the 250-foot mark.

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Left Lane: Dan Dietrich Runs 5.589/236.17, Now #1
Right Lane: Frank Schuster Runs 9.342/89.57, Now #2

Dietrich with a clean pass.

Schuster shook and then was dropping cylinders as he clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Mike Kosky Runs 15.387/46.49, Now #5
Right Lane: Brandon Greco Runs 6.936/118.96, Now #2

Kosky was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off

Greco started to haze the tires around half track and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Jeff Veale Runs 5.394/277.72, Now #2
Right Lane: Tom Fox Jr. Runs 5.285/272.06, Now #1

A good side-by-side drag race.

Veale is straight down the groove and runs a big top end speed. Jeff Veale's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.481, 660ft-3.634/219.83 mph, 1,000ft-4.587.

Fox Jr. launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Tom Fox Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.906 sec., 330ft-2.370, 660ft-3.498/219.61 mph, 1,000ft-4.462.

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Left Lane: Robin Samsel Runs 5.359/269.73, Now #3
Right Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.176/279.32, Now #1

This is a great side-by-side drag race.

Samsel kept it hooked up and hitting on all eight to go to the number three spot. Robin Samsel's incremental times: 60ft-0.973 sec., 330ft-2.474, 660ft-3.588/225.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.536.

Nataas kept the Goodyears stuck all the way down the track to go to the number one spot. She makes he quickest pass of the season. Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.378, 660ft-3.461/231.64 mph, 1,000ft-4.380.

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Left Lane: Josh Hart Runs 9.852/79.76, Now #9
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.278/274.55, Now #2

Hart shakes right at the hit and then drives into tire smoke before he clicks it off.

Fricke with a good looking pass to go to the number two spot. Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.435, 660ft-3.533/228.46 mph, 1,000ft-4.468.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.183/278.52, Now #2
Right Lane: Troy Coughlin Jr. Runs 8.139/100.29, Now #9

Shields launched hard and kept it hooked up to make his quickest pass this season to go to the number two spot. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.376, 660ft-3.457/230.57 mph, 1,000ft-4.383.

Coughlin starts to lose traction and clicks it off.

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Left Lane: Megan Meyer Runs 5.190/273.61, Now #3
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.257/277.49, Now #4

This is a great side-by-side drag race to wrap up round one of qualifying.

Meyer was straight down the groove to the number three spot with a good looking pass. Megan Meyer's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.371, 660ft-3.446/231.28 mph, 1,000ft-4.377.

Cowie was right there with her to the number four spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.927 sec., 330ft-2.379, 660ft-3.495/222.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.448.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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