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Sun, 5 Oct 2003, 01:23 PM

Top Alcohol Funny Car Round 1 Eliminations

By Jim Samuel

MOHNTON, Pa. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Funny Car at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals:


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1226 Dave Keddy                              1 Frank Manzo
E1                   0.480 No Time           ****WINNER****  0.254  6.022 245.94
 Qualified:            #14  6.257 222.69                        #1  5.588 258.62

12:59 PM - When the first round of Top Alcohol Funny Car eliminations started, the air temperature was 56 degrees at 46 percent humidity and the barometer was at 29.99 and steady under a cloudy sky.

Keddy launched and broke, Manzo shook the tires violently and had to back off the throttle.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1427 Craig English                          13 Paul Gill
E1                   0.090  5.838 243.33     ****WINNER****  0.134  5.699 250.27
 Qualified:            #11  5.894 244.96                        #4  5.690 253.18

English had the quicker start and was ahead at the 330 foot marker. But then, his car got a little loose and as he worked to get back in the groove, Gill powered by him for the win. Paul Gill's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.078), 330 ft(-0.044), 660ft(0.000), 1,000ft(0.060). MOV: 0.0952 seconds (approximately 34 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1509 Dan Pomponio                            8 Bob Newberry
E1                   0.073  6.068 234.29     ****WINNER****  0.108  5.598 256.02
 Qualified:            #13  5.954 238.38                        #2  5.632 254.23

Pomponio's car started to chatter the tires at 100 feet and chattered them to mid track. Pomponio drove through the chatter but by the time the car settled down, Newberry was already too far ahead. Bob Newberry's incremental margins: 60ft(0.014), 330 ft(0.145), 660ft(0.260), 1,000ft(0.351). MOV: 0.4351 seconds (more than 100 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 1489 Darrel Cox                            136 Jim Sickles
E1                   0.048  5.931 234.90     ****WINNER****  0.064  5.699 253.52
 Qualified:            #12  5.936 234.49                        #3  5.680 250.69

Cox had a quicker start and was ahead at 330 feet, but then Sickles pulled ahead and pulled away to take the win. Jim Sickles' incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.061), 330 ft(-0.020), 660ft(0.068), 1,000ft(0.149). MOV: 0.2161 seconds (approximately 74 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  121 Scott Woodington                      171 Todd Veney
E1                   0.083 No Time           ****WINNER**** -0.149  9.962  85.17
 Qualified:            #10  5.889 235.51                        #5  5.720 249.76

Veney started too soon and lit the red light. Ordinarily, he would have lost this race but Woodington shook the tires hard, went toward the center line, took out the foam block at 330 feet, then crossed over into Veney's lane and followed the "Follow A Dream" Avenger down the track. The DQ for crossing the center line overrides the red light, so Veney will move on to a second round race against Paul Gill, who will have lane choice.


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  147 Fred Tigges                            14 Paul Lee
E1                   0.063  5.821 235.43     ****WINNER****  0.016  5.781 251.30
 Qualified:             #9  5.824 241.63                        #6  5.748 252.24

Lee drifted right out of the groove but brought it back into the middle of the lane to take the win. Lee gave up lane choice to Sickles in the second round. Paul Lee's incremental margins: 60ft(0.042), 330 ft(0.001), 660ft(0.013), 1,000ft(0.040). MOV: 0.0875 seconds (approximately 30 feet).


 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  125 Eric Lourie                            19 Bruce Mullins
E1                         No Time           ****WINNER****  0.811 14.622  97.64
 Qualified:             #8  5.809 230.45                        #7  5.801 241.89

Lourie did not return for eliminations so Mullins took an easy run to the second round. He gave up lane choice to Newberry in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink