Fri, 08 Nov 2013, 20:12 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By David Gerard

POMONA, Calif. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 49th annual Automobile Club of Southern California 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:

---

Left Lane: Gord Gingles Runs 5.608/232.95, Now #17; Best prior run: 8.684/95.77, Was #20
Right Lane: Ashley Sanford Runs 8.604/95.01, Now #21; Best prior run: 11.505/79.22, Was #21

4:28 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 80 degrees, relative humidity 23 percent, barometer 28.84 inches, adjusted altitude 3,043 feet, track temperature 95 degrees.

William Litton is on the bump spot at 5.563.

Gingles gets near a full pass and just misses the bump spot.

Sanford continues to struggle and won't qualify either.

Gord Gingles' incremental times: 60ft-0.949 sec., 330ft-2.456, 660ft-3.630/210.21 mph, 1,000ft-4.668.

---

Left Lane: Larry Miersch Runs 5.603/251.06, Now #17; Best prior run: 5.767/245.67, Was #20
Right Lane: Casey Grisel Runs 5.687/261.98, Now #20; Best prior run: 5.634/261.78, Was #19

Miersch had a shot at qualifying but the engine went south near the 1000 foot lights with a bunch of smoke from the engine. No oil on the track though.

Grisel picks up a little speed, but loses a little ET. He gets pushed back a spot by Miersch.

Larry Miersch's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-2.533, 660ft-3.724/210.60 mph, 1,000ft-4.725.
Casey Grisel's incremental times: 60ft-0.972 sec., 330ft-2.589, 660ft-3.822/206.13 mph, 1,000ft-4.832.

---

Left Lane: Brooks Brown Runs 6.306/183.92, Now #19; Best prior run: 5.615/246.84, Was #19
Right Lane: William Litton Runs 5.532/261.07, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.563/255.82, Was #16

Brown is dropping holes at the hit and can't improve.

A better pass for Litton and he moves off the bump spot.

Brooks Brown's incremental times: 60ft-0.986 sec., 330ft-2.660, 660ft-3.915/196.56 mph, 1,000ft-5.134.
William Litton's incremental times: 60ft-0.956 sec., 330ft-2.528, 660ft-3.698/214.35 mph, 1,000ft-4.683.

---

Left Lane: Jeff Ashwell Runs 5.508/258.12, Now #15; Best prior run: 5.557/257.19, Was #16
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.389/267.96, Now #9; Best prior run: 5.396/268.28, Was #9

4:35 p.m. Litton left some "stuff" on the track right off the line and down to the 330 lights. We have a brief delay to scrub it up. 4:44 p.m. Back to qualifying. The sun has dropped below the grand stands.

Two clean passes and both cars pick up speed and ET. Ashwell moves off the bump and up a stop to number fifteen. Cowie will stay #9 for now.

---

Left Lane: Johnny Ahten Runs 5.376/259.31, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.484/259.01, Was #14
Right Lane: Michael Manners Runs 5.397/269.40, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.386/269.94, Was #7

...and the hits keep coming. Straight and true for both cars and Ahten moves into the top eight and pushes Manners down a spot.

---

Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.445/262.13, Now #12; Best prior run: 5.467/261.98, Was #14
Right Lane: Don St. Arnaud Runs 5.382/271.46, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.367/271.57, Was #6

Shields makes a better pass and moves further away from the bump to the new #12 spot.

St.Arnaud runs close to his prior best to stay number six.

Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.482, 660ft-3.622/219.12 mph, 1,000ft-4.597.
Don St. Arnaud's incremental times: 60ft-0.944 sec., 330ft-2.458, 660ft-3.596/219.76 mph, 1,000ft-4.559.

---

Left Lane: Ross Stickler Runs 12.578/62.70, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.453/260.46, Was #13
Right Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.282/270.59, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.363/270.32, Was #5

No reverse on Bateman's car and the crew and NHRA starting line crew have to run out and push him back. Doesn't seem to have hurt, as he powers on down the track into the top four.

Stickler hammers the throttle and then has the blower belt fly off right after that.

Ross Stickler's incremental times: 60ft-0.955 sec., 330ft-3.160, 660ft-5.997/076.22 mph, 1,000ft-9.224.
Garrett Bateman's incremental times: 60ft-0.910 sec., 330ft-2.389, 660ft-3.508/222.88 mph, 1,000ft-4.459.

---

Left Lane: Megan McKernan Runs 5.724/258.22, Now #11; Best prior run: 5.429/268.54, Was #11
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.493/208.30, Now #5; Best prior run: 5.291/271.57, Was #5

Two broken runs.

McKernan's cars was lazy off the line and can'y improve.

Demke was on a strong pass until near the 1000 foot lights, where there were two bright flashes from the engine and he slows.

---

Left Lane: Jim Whiteley Runs 5.218/275.90, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.223/275.62, Was #1
Right Lane: Mark Taliaferro Runs 10.988/72.58, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.282/271.02, Was #3

Whiteley saves the best to last. Except for the sixty foot number, he takes all of the incrementals powering on down the track to the quickest and fastest pass of the weekend.

Taliaferro had a good leave and then slowed after the 330 lights.

Jim Whiteley's incremental times: 60ft-0.921 sec., 330ft-2.333, 660ft-3.446/221.09 mph, 1,000ft-4.403.

5:06 p.m. William Litton is on the bump spot at 5.532.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Round 1 Eliminations
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Stock Eliminator Round 1 Winners
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Stock Eliminator Round 1 Eliminations
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Round 3 Class Eliminations
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Eliminations Ladder
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Final Qualifying, Session #3 Order
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Stock Eliminator Eliminations Ladder
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Stock Eliminator Final Qualifying, Session #3 Order
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Round 2 Class Eliminations
Apr 20- HOUSTON - Super Stock Round 1 Class Eliminations