Thu, 14 Nov 2019, 20:43 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 55th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Chris McNicol Runs 5.546/260.51, Now #2
Right Lane: Ron August Jr Runs 5.470/256.45, Now #1

4:02 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 74 degrees, relative humidity 48 percent, barometer 28.92 inches, adjusted altitude 2,703 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Both cars have some problems keeping all of the candles lit.

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Right Lane: James Stevens No Time, Now #3

Strong leave for Stevens and then the dragster starts a steadily pull towards the center line. He stays with it a little too long and nails the 660 reflectors. That will DQ his run.

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Left Lane: Fred Hanssen Runs 5.311/270.86, Now #1
Right Lane: Ron Anderson Runs 5.441/274.33, Now #2

4:13 p.m. Back to qualifying.

Both cars left well and started down the track together.

Anderson's engine wasn't happy down track and was dropping cylinders.

Hanssen made a great looking pass to right after the finish line where the car crossed the center line and hit the right guard rail.. The car came quickly to a stop sideway on the track. The report from the top end is that he is conscious and alert. Following protocol, they will transport him to a local hospital.

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Left Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 5.570/259.21, Now #5
Right Lane: Shane Conway Runs 10.873/78.73, Now #6

5:03p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 69 degrees, relative humidity 60 percent, barometer 28.94 inches, adjusted altitude 2,470 feet, track temperature 75 degrees.

Big change to the density altitude!

Conway fires and falls back at the green.

Gingles engine didn't sound too happy going down the track and he runs well off of his usual times.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.283/272.89, Now #1
Right Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 11.964/61.91, Now #8

Salinas' has issues with shake at the hit and lifts.

Grisel scores a stout pass right on up ito the new top spot.

Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.402, 660ft-3.519/223.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.466.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 5.227/276.63, Now #1
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.368/274.22, Now #4

Long smoky burnout for Demke! Two strong passes and gets there second.

Mercier leaves strong with a 0.914 sixty foot time for the fueler.

Dan Mercier's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.383, 660ft-3.487/227.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.421.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.429, 660ft-3.575/216.45 mph, 1,000ft-4.547.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.535/201.61, Now #8
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.320/253.80, Now #4

The fuelers seem to have the advantage today. Bateman moves into the #4 position, but is shredding body parts down track.

Severance was quicker to right in the 660 lights, where the blown car starts to slow.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.894 sec., 330ft-2.335, 660ft-3.457/220.98 mph, 1,000ft-4.489.
Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.920 sec., 330ft-2.410, 660ft-3.531/223.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.480.

5:13 p.m. A brief delay to clean up the top end.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.320/273.27, Now #4
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.341/274.72, Now #6

5:17 p.m. Back to qualifying again.

Shields has to do a quick pedal slap early and still runs well to the finish line.

Fricke gets a 0.001 starting line advantage and is quicker to the 330 lights to move into the top four.

Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.968 sec., 330ft-2.466, 660ft-3.570/227.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.508.
Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.936 sec., 330ft-2.449, 660ft-3.579/223.47 mph, 1,000ft-4.527.

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Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.221/274.83, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 6.241/164.21, Now #14

The right lane hasn't been good to the racers. Cowie has some shake after a stout 0.918 sixty foot time, lifts, tries it again, and then gives up.

Clean and straight for Nataas right to the top spot!

Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.386, 660ft-3.486/227.92 mph, 1,000ft-4.417.

5:24 p.m. Jasmine Salinas is on the bump spot at 11.964.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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