Fri, 15 Nov 2019, 14:54 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #2

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 2 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 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: James Stevens Runs 5.394/262.39, Now #9; No Prior Run

11:10 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 62 degrees, relative humidity 74 percent, barometer 29.98 inches, adjusted altitude 1,952 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Julie Nataas is number one at 5.221.

Exciting start for Stevens, as there is a huge fuel line leak when they tried to start the engine. The crew shuts him off, fixes the problem, and restarts the engine.

No drama from there on, as gets a time to go to #9.

James Stevens' incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.384, 660ft-3.548/212.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.546.

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Left Lane: Ron August Jr Runs 12.203/96.59, Now #17; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 5.388/269.89, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.570/259.21, Was #13

Jasmine Salinas is on the bump spot at 11.964.

August's session one time was DQ'ed, so he will start over today. The car is in trouble at the green and strikes the tires immediately.

Gingles makes a clean pass and just misses the current top half of the field.

Gord Gingles' incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.617/219.79 mph, 1,000ft-4.569.

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Left Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 5.305/269.51, Now #4; Best prior run: 11.964/61.91, Was #16
Right Lane: Chris McNicol No Time, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.546/260.51, Was #13

Salinas has had a great year and makes a strong pass into the number four position.

McNicol make a career best pass, but powers across the track at the finish line and nails the reflector to get his times DQ'ed. He shot into Salinas's lane and got way too close to Salinas before getting the car under control.

Jasmine Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.393, 660ft-3.521/221.74 mph, 1,000ft-4.478.
Chris McNicol's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.485, 660ft-3.632/219.12 mph, 1,000ft-4.599.

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Left Lane: Shane Conway Runs 9.400/88.16, Now #16; Best prior run: 10.873/78.73, Was #16
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.221/274.39, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.535/201.61, Was #13

Shane Conway is now on the bump spot at 10.873. The car starts to leave hard, but is coasting early.

Strong pass for Severance to lose out the top spot on speed by just 0.5 MPH!

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.893 sec., 330ft-2.324, 660ft-3.442/221.74 mph, 1,000ft-4.403.

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Left Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.276/276.52, Now #4; Best prior run: 6.241/164.21, Was #15
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 10.357/80.44, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.320/273.27, Was #7

Fricke gets a good start, but kicks the tires loose about 100 feet out.

Cowie gets his full pass and moves all the way up to the top four.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.922 sec., 330ft-2.383, 660ft-3.508/220.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.464.

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Left Lane: Ron Anderson Runs 5.410/268.54, Now #14; Best prior run: 5.441/274.33, Was #14

Shane Conway is on the bump spot at 9.400.

Anderson has a good leave, but has a hole out on the right bank right before the 330 lights. He still runs well enough to slightly improve on last nights ET.

Ron Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-0.951 sec., 330ft-2.455, 660ft-3.604/217.56 mph, 1,000ft-4.578.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.290/274.33, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.368/274.22, Was #11
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 7.713/112.29, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.283/272.89, Was #5

Grisel gets away first, but the fueler isn't happy early. It shakes and slows.

Demke makes a clean and strong pass to move up into the top half of the field in number six.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.916 sec., 330ft-2.368, 660ft-3.503/218.48 mph, 1,000ft-4.471.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.216/278.06, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.341/274.72, Was #11
Right Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 9.336/88.18, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.227/276.63, Was #3

Great pass for Shields from start to finish. He powers right on down the track to reset the #1 ET and speed numbers in style! NICE!

Mercier matches Shields at sixty feet, but falls to tire shake after that.

Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.928 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.483/228.65 mph, 1,000ft-4.414.

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Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.253/275.56, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.320/253.80, Was #11
Right Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.138/281.36, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.221/274.83, Was #2

Bateman has a different color side panel to replace the one he lost off the car last night.

Two great passe to wrap up this qualifying session.

Nataas runs the table with all of the numbers to move back into the top position.

Bateman gets a full pass too this time and moves up six positions to #5.

Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.918 sec., 330ft-2.394, 660ft-3.503/226.70 mph, 1,000ft-4.443.
Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.339, 660ft-3.424/230.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.345.

11:49 a.m. Shane Conway is on the bump spot at 9.400.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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