Sun, 2 Oct 2005, 01:53 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

JOLIET, Ill. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, Fifth annual Ameriquest Mortgage NHRA Nationals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   32 Jeff Wilson                          6610 Brandon Johnson              
E2   ****WINNER****  0.033  5.414 260.97                     0.050  5.501 256.36
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S Torrence  ) 0.028  5.453 260.51      (G Snow      ) 0.036  5.495 253.33
 Qualified:            #13  5.394 267.64                       #12  5.392 263.72

A couple of good, straight passes here, Wilson quicker off the line and through the run.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  303 Todd Datweiler                        318 Dave Hirata                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.077  5.633 243.63                     0.075  5.981 233.52
 Prior rounds:
E1    (K Perry     ) 0.080  5.402 256.70      (T Bowgren   ) 0.081  5.421 263.62
 Qualified:             #8  5.345 268.97                        #1  5.165 276.35

Hirata was losing cylinders all the way through the run. Datweiler will give up lane choice to Wilson in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    3 Randy Meyer                          717M Aaron Olivarez               
E2                   0.049  5.357 245.63     ****WINNER****  0.074  5.320 268.76
 Prior rounds:
E1    (R Putz      ) 0.053  5.324 262.90      (J Finke     ) 0.043  5.281 270.16
 Qualified:             #3  5.240 264.34                        #6  5.276 270.97

Meyer gets the hole-shot and starts pulling away. He loses a cylinder, then Olivarez drives around him just before the finish-line.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Bill Reichert                          33 Marty Thacker                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.069  5.346 267.69                     0.020  5.443 262.85
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Kelly     ) 0.155  5.260 276.13      (R McPhillips) 0.049  5.443 263.15
 Qualified:             #2  5.182 280.66                       #10  5.362 266.27

Thacker was off the line first and starts pulling away. He extends his lead until just past half-track, then Reighert starts to reel him in and pulls around for the win.

Bill Reichert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.072), 330 ft(-0.094), 660ft(-0.044), 1,000ft(0.017). MOV: 0.0484 seconds (approximately 19 feet).

Olivarez will have lane choice over Reichert in the next round.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink