Thu, 13 Nov 2025, 18:35 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Dave Rowe

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series, 60th annual In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Cheyne Phillips Runs 5.249/273.05, Now #1
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.307/273.88, Now #2

2:57 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 38 percent, barometer 29.98 inches, adjusted altitude 2,560 feet.

Phillips goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass to start the session. Ahten makes a good run to start his weekend.

Cheyne Phillips' incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.398, 660ft-3.499/227.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.436.

Johnny Ahten's incremental times: 60ft-0.959 sec., 330ft-2.433, 660ft-3.552/223.99 mph, 1,000ft-4.497.

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Left Lane: Jerry Kumre Runs 8.002/216.34, Now #4
Right Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.464/248.57, Now #3

Kumre goes up in smoke at the hit, pedals two or three times, but he isn't able to get the slicks to bite. Eakins was on a decent pass but slowed late in the run.

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Left Lane: Braiden Chesleigh Runs 5.444/262.28, Now #4
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.338/267.85, Now #3

Chesleigh goes down the groove with a clean, straight pass and he gets in the fourth spot for now. Bateman makes a good run to start the day and gets in the third spot for now.

Braiden Chesleigh's incremental times: 60ft-1.012 sec., 330ft-2.524, 660ft-3.638/223.84 mph, 1,000ft-4.600.

Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.952 sec., 330ft-2.450, 660ft-3.565/225.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.511.

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Left Lane: James Stevens Runs 6.203/161.04, Now #7
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.449/265.17, Now #5

Stevens was all over the track, moving to the right, back to the left, then back to the right, and he finally gives up on the run. Demke goes down the groove with a good run to get in the fifth spot for now.

Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-1.003 sec., 330ft-2.483, 660ft-3.629/216.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.611.

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Left Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.493/269.78, Now #8
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 5.301/271.30, Now #2

Austin goes down the groove with a good run to get in the second spot for now. Grisel makes a decent pass but was falling behind all the way through the run.

Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-1.008 sec., 330ft-2.578, 660ft-3.712/222.40 mph, 1,000ft-4.669.

Mike Austin's incremental times: 60ft-0.914 sec., 330ft-2.353, 660ft-3.498/217.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.473.

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Left Lane: Shaunda Blinzler Runs 5.423/259.21, Now #6
Right Lane: Kirk Wolf Runs 5.305/271.13, Now #3

Blinzler drifts to the right late in the run and almost crosses the centerline right at the end. wolf goes down the groove with a good pass to get in the third spot for now.

Shaunda Blinzler's incremental times: 60ft-0.961 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.606/216.62 mph, 1,000ft-4.584.

Kirk Wolf's incremental times: 60ft-0.947 sec., 330ft-2.439, 660ft-3.544/227.23 mph, 1,000ft-4.485.

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Left Lane: Angelle Sampey Runs 5.297/274.44, Now #2
Right Lane: Melanie Johnson Runs 5.342/270.70, Now #7

Sampey goes down the groove with a good run and gets in the second spot for now. Johnson makes a decent pass to get in the seventh spot.

Angelle Sampey's incremental times: 60ft-0.960 sec., 330ft-2.453, 660ft-3.551/228.31 mph, 1,000ft-4.486.

Melanie Johnson's incremental times: 60ft-0.984 sec., 330ft-2.479, 660ft-3.582/226.81 mph, 1,000ft-4.524.

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Left Lane: Madison Payne Runs 5.241/277.26, Now #1
Right Lane: McKenna Bold Runs 5.415/261.57, Now #9

Payne goes down the groove with an impressive run, the quickest of the round so far, and she takes the top spot for now. Bold makes a decent run but is off the pace.

Madison Payne's incremental times: 60ft-0.948 sec., 330ft-2.416, 660ft-3.504/229.39 mph, 1,000ft-4.436.

McKenna Bold's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.497, 660ft-3.619/224.14 mph, 1,000ft-4.572.

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Left Lane: Jamie Noonan Runs 5.286/270.54, Now #3
Right Lane: Anthony Troyer No Time, Now #18

Noonan goes down the groove with a good run and he gets in the third spot for now.

Troyer hits the throttle, the dragster moves a couple of feet and the engine goes silent.

Jamie Noonan's incremental times: 60ft-0.962 sec., 330ft-2.439, 660ft-3.533/228.04 mph, 1,000ft-4.470.

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Left Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.267/273.66, Now #4
Right Lane: Jon Bradford Runs 5.259/273.55, Now #3

A good side-by-side, both down the groove with clean, straight passes. Bradford gets in the third spot for now, Severance just behind in the fourth spot.

Joey Severance's incremental times: 60ft-0.909 sec., 330ft-2.358, 660ft-3.480/220.26 mph, 1,000ft-4.447.

Jon Bradford's incremental times: 60ft-0.917 sec., 330ft-2.349, 660ft-3.475/220.44 mph, 1,000ft-4.440.

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Left Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.216/274.39, Now #1
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.254/275.39, Now #4

Fricke goes down the groove with an impressive run to end this session and takes the top spot. Cowie makes a clean pass and gets in the fourth spot.

Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.923 sec., 330ft-2.385, 660ft-3.476/229.08 mph, 1,000ft-4.408.

Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.370, 660ft-3.484/222.00 mph, 1,000ft-4.440.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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