Fri, 15 Mar 2019, 12:06 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Session #1

By Rick Green

GAINESVILLE, Fla. - Notes from round 1 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series, 50th annual Amalie Motor Oil NHRA Gatornationals listing lane, driver name, elapsed time, top speed, and position in order following run:

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Left Lane: Ken Perry No Time, Now #2
Right Lane: Artie Allen Runs 9.542/105.43, Now #1

Weather conditions: air temperature 75 degrees, relative humidity 70 percent, barometer 29.92 inches, adjusted altitude 1,850 feet, track temperature 87 degrees.

Perry broke right on the starting line.

Allen was dropping cylinder early and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Jared Dreher Runs 5.415/259.66, Now #2
Right Lane: Troy Coughlin Jr. Runs 5.313/275.45, Now #1

These two are making their first passes of the season here...

Dreher with a clean pass, but slows on the top end.

Coughlin had it hitting on all eight all the way down the track with a nice pass. Troy Coughlin Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.942 sec., 330ft-2.441, 660ft-3.559/224.06 mph, 1,000ft-4.503.

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Left Lane: Jasmine Salinas Runs 5.364/258.22, Now #2
Right Lane: Jerry Powell Runs 5.592/251.44, Now #4

Salinas is straight down the groove with a good looking pass with her career quickest and fastest pass. Jasmine Salinas' incremental times: 60ft-0.946 sec., 330ft-2.419, 660ft-3.548/222.07 mph, 1,000ft-4.511.

Powell with a clean pass to start the season.

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Left Lane: Justin Ashley Runs 9.593/91.89, Now #7
Right Lane: Tom Pickett Runs 5.893/233.24, Now #5

Ashley is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Pickett has holes out on the right side right from the hit.

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Left Lane: Mike Bucher Runs 16.751/44.71, Now #9
Right Lane: Cherissa Griffis-Smallwood Runs 15.387/73.24, Now #8

Bucher is up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off.

Griffis-Smallwood is up in smoke right off the starting line and clicked it off.

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Left Lane: Tom Fox Jr. Runs 5.386/245.09, Now #3
Right Lane: Jeff Veale Runs 5.403/273.94, Now #4

fox Jr. is straight down the groove to go to the number three spot. Tom Fox Jr.'s incremental times: 60ft-0.929 sec., 330ft-2.408, 660ft-3.549/216.86 mph, 1,000ft-4.525.

Veale with a nice pass. Jeff Veale's incremental times: 60ft-0.990 sec., 330ft-2.529, 660ft-3.657/224.25 mph, 1,000ft-4.594.

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Left Lane: Dan Mercier Runs 10.452/76.10, Now #11
Right Lane: Jackie Fricke Runs 5.362/278.75, Now #2

Mercier lost traction right at the hit and clicked it off.

Fricke launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number two spot. Jackie Fricke's incremental times: 60ft-0.995 sec., 330ft-2.540, 660ft-3.637/228.77 mph, 1,000ft-4.563.

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Left Lane: Julie Nataas Runs 18.441/38.24, Now #15
Right Lane: Megan Meyer Runs 5.398/280.02, Now #5

Nataas was up in smoke right at the hit and clicked it off, she coasted down the quarter mile.

Meyer kept it hitting on all eight to get into the number five spot. Megan Meyer's incremental times: 60ft-1.020 sec., 330ft-2.549, 660ft-3.669/225.71 mph, 1,000ft-4.600.

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Left Lane: Josh Hart Runs 5.304/275.00, Now #2
Right Lane: Chris Demke Runs 5.300/275.45, Now #1

This was a great side-by-side drag race.

Hart, the winner of the Baby-Gators last weekend, is straight down the groove hitting on all eight to go to the number two spot. Josh Hart's incremental times: 60ft-0.940 sec., 330ft-2.424, 660ft-3.550/223.73 mph, 1,000ft-4.494.

Demke launched hard and kept it hooked up to go to the number one spot. Chris Demke's incremental times: 60ft-0.935 sec., 330ft-2.395, 660ft-3.522/219.69 mph, 1,000ft-4.484.

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Left Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.300/275.67, Now #2
Right Lane: Shawn Cowie Runs 5.246/275.00, Now #1

This is a great drag race to wrap up round one of qualifying.

Shields is straight down the groove to go to the number two spot. Duane Shields' incremental times: 60ft-0.964 sec., 330ft-2.449, 660ft-3.554/226.58 mph, 1,000ft-4.493.

Cowie had it hooked up and hitting all the down the track to go to the number one spot. Shawn Cowie's incremental times: 60ft-0.926 sec., 330ft-2.357, 660ft-3.473/221.89 mph, 1,000ft-4.430.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink



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