Sat, 11 Nov 2023, 14:46 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Camping World Drag Racing Series, 58th annual In-N-Out NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    6 Julie Nataas                            2 Matthew Cummings             
E1                   0.137 18.157  40.50     ****WINNER****  0.118  5.262 274.50
 Qualified:             #7  5.216 274.05                       #10  5.264 273.94

11:12 a.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 73 degrees, relative humidity 17 percent, barometer 30.06 inches, adjusted altitude 2,104 feet.

Nataas is 3 - 1 against Cummings in prior events.

Nataas is the 2023 TAD Champion and goes up in smoke right at the green.

Cummings get the easy win on a quicker and faster pass than he qualified.

Matthew Cummings' incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.431, 660ft-3.519/229.66 mph, 1,000ft-4.451.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  314 Tony Stewart                            8 Madison Payne                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.050  5.319 276.13                     0.083  7.453 129.54
 Qualified:             #8  5.218 276.92                        #9  5.249 276.80

Lots of peddling here

Stewart pumps right around the 220 lights and powers on down for the win.

Payne is a little earlier, but is dropping cylinders and slows.

Tony Stewart's incremental times: 60ft-0.925 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.571/225.41 mph, 1,000ft-4.511.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  491 Angelle Sampey                       4494 Hunter Green                 
E1                   0.075  5.352 274.55     ****WINNER****  0.045  5.261 280.84
 Qualified:             #6  5.207 276.13                       #11  5.270 278.40

7 women are the most to ever qualify for a TAD field.

More shake and spin.

Green gets away first and powers on down for the easy win and new career Speed record shot him.

Sampey has to pedal and it costs her.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    9 Taylor Vetter                           5 Jackie Fricke                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.057  5.530 272.28                     0.081  5.951 272.78
 Qualified:             #4  5.179 281.01                       #13  5.290 269.73

Fricke is 1 - 0 against Vetter in prior events.

Vetter gets the starting line advantage and Fricke slows with tire shake.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  628 Kim Parker                             54 James Stevens                
E1   ****WINNER****  0.080  5.324 267.85                     0.088  5.655 171.66
 Qualified:             #5  5.197 268.22                       #12  5.290 271.90

This is the first time Parker and Stevens have faced each other in eliminations.

They leave right together and Green starts to pull steadily ahead until right before the 1000 foot lights, where the engine expires and the car slows.

Parker will have lane choice over Vetter in round two.

Kim Parker's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.038), 330 ft(-0.074), 660ft(-0.067), 1,000ft(0.034). MOV: 0.3392 seconds (approximately 85 feet).

Kim Parker's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.430, 660ft-3.550/224.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.497.
James Stevens' incremental times: 60ft-0.904 sec., 330ft-2.348, 660ft-3.475/219.94 mph, 1,000ft-4.523.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    1 Joey Severance                        724 Casey Grisel                 
E1   ****WINNER****  0.071  5.308 268.22                     0.046  5.372 275.96
 Qualified:             #3  5.177 275.96                       #14  5.305 276.58

Severance is 7 - 0 against Grisel in prior events.

Lots of shaking at the green, but both cars power on down the track.

Severance was second off the line, but is out in front by 60 feet and never headed. He has lane choice over Green next round.

Joey Severance's incremental margins: 60ft(0.034), 330 ft(0.080), 660ft(0.078), 1,000ft(0.057). MOV: 0.0392 seconds (approximately 16 feet).

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.891 sec., 330ft-2.357, 660ft-3.502/217.49 mph, 1,000ft-4.478.
Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.950 sec., 330ft-2.462, 660ft-3.605/219.90 mph, 1,000ft-4.560.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  611 Garrett Bateman                       610 Mitch Myers                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.240 274.27                     0.077  5.484 262.59
 Qualified:             #2  5.164 278.75                       #15  5.327 270.64

Bateman is 2 - 0 against Myers in prior events.

Identical RT's and Bateman pulls ahead before half track to take the decisive win.

Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.392, 660ft-3.493/227.54 mph, 1,000ft-4.429.
Mitch Myers' incremental times: 60ft-0.945 sec., 330ft-2.490, 660ft-3.660/214.96 mph, 1,000ft-4.640.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 725K Krista Baldwin                          4 Shawn Cowie                  
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.110 18.756  78.71
 Qualified:            #16  5.331 267.59                        #1  5.162 279.09

Baldwin's engine starts and then goes silent with a fuel leak. They can't get it restarted in time, so Cowie will get the single pass.

To add insult to injury, Cowie tires are spinning hard at the green. He gives up lane choice to Stewart in round two.

11:39 a.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink

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