Fri, 9 Feb 2007, 04:36 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 POWERade Drag Racing Series, 47th annual CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals 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: Chris Perl Runs 34.651/44.86, Now #22; No Prior Run
Right Lane: Darryl Hitchman Runs 5.536/231.95, Now #10; No Prior Run

12:27 p.m. The sky is overcast and the wind is starting to pick up a little. We had bright sun earlier, so there is temperature in the track. Weather conditions: air temperature 70 degrees, relative humidity 30 percent, barometer 29.18 inches, adjusted altitude 1,780 feet, track temperature 84 degrees.

Perl's run yesterday was DQ'ed for light weight and Hitchman didn't get down the track. Today is a different day and Perl's smokes the tires at the hit, while Hitchman gets a good baseline pass. I don't think that his time will last long.

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Left Lane: Frank Dischbein Runs 7.186/126.73, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.383/158.41, Was #20
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.264/275.62, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.264/275.62, Was #1

Yesterday, they both smoked the tires and today Dischbein shakes and spins at the hit. Shields has the tune up and thunders into the current #1 spot. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.934 sec., 330ft-2.411, 660ft-3.525/225.52mph, 1,000ft-4.458

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Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.397/267.96, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.397/267.96, Was #5
Right Lane: Mike Austin Runs 6.202/211.66, Now #20; Best prior run: 6.202/211.66, Was #20

A new sponsor [Y'NOT] and another great pass to stay in the current #5 spot for Whiteley. Austin uses all of the the track getting to the finish line.

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Left Lane: Brian Smith Runs 16.885/64.63, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.914/243.02, Was #19
Right Lane: Johnny Ahten No Time, Now #18; Best prior run: 5.909/246.44, Was #18

Ahten has problems in the burnout and pulls the car over to the wall. Smith's car just spins hard at the hit and he clicks it off right away.

12:41 p.m. Dusting and cleaning has commenced in the right lane.

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Left Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.408/265.90, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.686/259.51, Was #16

12:49 p.m. ... and we are back to qualifying. Whoever was supposed to run with Demke is a no show. Demke can move the car off the bump spot with a straight pass. And he does! Nice pass with a right down the grove into the current #7 spot.

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Left Lane: Jeff Veale Runs 7.564/114.07, Now #16; Best prior run: 5.607/252.57, Was #15
Right Lane: Greg Tacke Runs 5.480/256.60, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.646/227.31, Was #16

Veale is driving the first TAD dragster out of the Yancer shop. He leaves the line with a great .939 60 foot time [Shields ran .934 on his 5.264 pass] and then the car makes a hard move to the center line before the 330 lights. He has to lift and coasts on down the track. Tacke picks up a ton on his pass and pushes Veale into the bump spot. He'll take over the #11 spot for now.

12:55 p.m. Lot of clean up trucks out on the track near the top end, so it was an expensive pass.

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Left Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 5.356/262.03, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.533/252.71, Was #13
Right Lane: Randy Eakins Runs 5.685/221.56, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.569/239.02, Was #15

1:03 p.m. The call goes out to start the next pair. That was a long cleanup all the way to the turn out from just after the finish line.

Day light header flames and a career best ET and MPH for Miersch. Eakins' engine is dropping cylinders down track and slows from yesterday's pass.

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Left Lane: Jeff Isbell Runs 5.754/201.40, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.487/257.28, Was #13
Right Lane: Cody Perkins Runs 10.211/80.10, Now #10; Best prior run: 5.436/262.03, Was #10

Two more blown cars this time. Perkins almost has a tank slapper with the car up and down, left and right, before he gives it up as a bad idea. Isbell has a strong leave and then shuts off near the top end.

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Left Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 7.485/128.65, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.462/256.02, Was #11
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 8.682/95.21, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.397/258.86, Was #7

Brandon Johnson snuck in a new A/Fuel dragster on us, that we missed yesterday. They are still working on the tune up, as the tires kick loose after the 60 foot lights and the engine starts losing cylinders. Bateman has his own troubles after a strong leave and slows too.

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Left Lane: Brandon Pierce Runs 18.335/52.90, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.417/249.76, Was #9
Right Lane: Mark Niver Runs 5.316/271.08, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.369/263.36, Was #4

Another great looking pass for the black car. Niver runs straight and true into the current #3 qualifying spot. Pierce spins the tires at the hit and clicks it off.

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Right Lane: Morgan Lucas Runs 12.312/91.94, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.291/263.92, Was #2

Lucas will get the single, as the last car in the session. Currently, he is qualified in TAD better than his TF ride. Well, that didn't work! The tires are up in smoke with a stellar 1.280 sixty foot time

1:20 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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