Thu, 09 Nov 2023, 19:17 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 58th annual In-N-Out NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Krista Baldwin Runs 5.331/267.59, Now #1
Right Lane: Jerry Kumre Runs 6.741/148.41, Now #2

3:24 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 15 percent, barometer 30.00 inches, adjusted altitude 2,197 feet.

Baldwin's crew has to run out and push the dragster back to the starting line after the burn out. She goes on up to stage and make a strong pass to the finish line with a season best ET.

Kumre starts to drop cylinders going down the track and clicks it off early.

Krista Baldwin's incremental times: 60ft-0.937 sec., 330ft-2.443, 660ft-3.563/223.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.511.

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Left Lane: Shaunda Blinzler Runs 6.160/173.81, Now #3
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.311/274.22, Now #1

Alcohol in the left lane and nitro in the right lane.

Blinzler's car is lazy off the line, but runs a career best ET and speed.

Strong pass for Bateman. A season best speed too.

Shaunda Blinzler's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.599, 660ft-3.820/205.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.964.
Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.442, 660ft-3.555/225.56 mph, 1,000ft-4.497.

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Left Lane: Trevor Larkin Runs 5.717/251.44, Now #4
Right Lane: Eric Chesleigh Runs 5.397/262.39, Now #3

Lots of dead cylinders for both cars powering down the track.

Trevor Larkin's incremental times: 60ft-1.006 sec., 330ft-2.594, 660ft-3.802/206.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.831.
Eric Chesleigh's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.437, 660ft-3.574/218.72 mph, 1,000ft-4.551.

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Left Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.391/268.97, Now #4
Right Lane: Angelle Sampey Runs 5.234/274.05, Now #1

Austin gets a big starting line advantage, but Sampey has the power to quickly drive around him and move into the top spot.

Austin runs a season best speed.

Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.965 sec., 330ft-2.426, 660ft-3.572/216.17 mph, 1,000ft-4.555.
Angelle Sampey's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.405, 660ft-3.497/229.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.428.

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Left Lane: Kirk Wolf Runs 9.592/81.75, Now #10
Right Lane: Mitch Myers Runs 5.379/267.96, Now #4

Myers sits in the lights at the green for a while and then has tire shake early. He drives through it and powers on down the track and into the top four.

Wolf's car slows early and he coasts on down.

Mitch Myers' incremental times: 60ft-0.943 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.593/221.52 mph, 1,000ft-4.551.

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Left Lane: Ron Anderson Runs 5.368/273.16, Now #5
Right Lane: James Stevens Runs 5.331/267.91, Now #3

Stevens uses a lot of race track getting to the finish line, as the dragster does a lot of weaving going down the track. He runs strong into the current #3 spot.

Anderson's pass was without drama and he takes the #5 spot for now.

Ron Anderson's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.471, 660ft-3.600/222.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.552.
James Stevens' incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.367, 660ft-3.508/215.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.494.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.345/277.09, Now #6
Right Lane: Hunter Green Runs 5.335/271.79, Now #5

Two strong passes, right on down the drag strip.

Green's engine starts to drop cylinders down track, but he is still quicker than Grisel.

Grisel was away first by a bunch and runs about five miles faster than Green to slide in right behind in the #6 spot.

Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.468, 660ft-3.592/223.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.538.
Hunter Green's incremental times: 60ft-0.958 sec., 330ft-2.469, 660ft-3.581/225.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.521.

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Left Lane: Kim Parker Runs 5.306/266.79, Now #2
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.676/247.52, Now #12

Demke is away first and strong early, but has a lot of smoke from the engine right before the lights.

Strong pass for Parker, right on up to the number two spot.

Kim Parker's incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.513/224.25 mph, 1,000ft-4.471.
Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.505, 660ft-3.730/203.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.774.

Kirk Wolf is on the bump spot at 9.592.

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Left Lane: Taylor Vetter Runs 5.198/279.21, Now #1
Right Lane: Madison Payne Runs 5.466/236.46, Now #13

Vetter gets away first and powers right on down the track to the top spot on a strong and clean pass. Season best ET and close to season best speed.

Payne dragster left hard and slowed down track.

Taylor Vetter's incremental times: 60ft-0.919 sec., 330ft-2.350, 660ft-3.450/224.36 mph, 1,000ft-4.394.
Madison Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.933 sec., 330ft-2.462, 660ft-3.609/221.63 mph, 1,000ft-4.570.

Shaunda Blinzler is on the bump spot at 6.160.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.296/236.09, Now #4
Right Lane: Matthew Cummings Runs 5.269/266.06, Now #3

Two strong top four passes.

Severance is away first, but Cummings has a little more power and gets to the finish line first.

Severance was strong early and then slowed right before the lights.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.895 sec., 330ft-2.328, 660ft-3.446/221.42 mph, 1,000ft-4.407.
Matthew Cummings' incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.406, 660ft-3.505/227.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.444.

Chris Demke is on the bump spot at 5.676.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.401/264.34, Now #15
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 17.919/42.07, Now #22

No joy here!

Cowie shakes and spins early and Fricke's engine starts to drop cylinder down track.

Fricke gets into the show for now and Cowie doesn't!

Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.437, 660ft-3.580/218.09 mph, 1,000ft-4.558.

Madison Payne is on the bump spot at 5.466.

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Left Lane: Tony Stewart Runs 5.218/276.92, Now #2
Right Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 5.252/271.41, Now #4

Last pair of the session!

Stewart runs hard to the finish line, but can't bump Vetter off of the top spot. He finishes a strong #2.

Strong clean pass for Nataas into the top four for today.

Tony Stewart's incremental times: 60ft-0.932 sec., 330ft-2.390, 660ft-3.481/228.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.412.
Julie Nataas' incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.496/226.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.435.

4:07 p.m. Eric Chesleigh is on the bump spot at 5.397.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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