Sun, 9 Oct 2005, 02:57 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Rick Green

ENNIS, Texas - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 20th annual O'Reilly NHRA Fall Nationals presented by Castrol Syntec:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   74 Duane Shields                         709 James Day                    
E2   ****WINNER****  0.084  5.390 262.44                     0.149  5.543 251.63
 Prior rounds:
E1    (C Magee     ) 0.113  5.425 260.56      (J Windham   ) 0.065  6.065 244.56
 Qualified:             #5  5.283 267.48                       #13  5.704 256.50

Weather conditions: air temperature 71 degrees, relative humidity 36 percent, barometer 29.78 inches, adjusted altitude 1149 feet, track temperature 96 degrees.

Shields is out of the gate first and never looked back for the win.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Ashley Force                          518 John Haley                   
E2   ****WINNER****  0.053  5.403 264.08                     0.060  5.784 194.21
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Pierce    ) 0.116  5.356 270.27      (J Thompson J) 0.068  7.220 141.03
 Qualified:             #6  5.317 268.22                       #14  6.047 167.91

Force is out of the gate first, but Haley has the lead at 60 feet and they are even at 330 feet, and then it is all Force. Haley lost an engine on the top end with a bing bang.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 717M Aaron Olivarez                         33 Marty Thacker                
E2   ****WINNER****  0.061  5.310 270.00                     0.031  5.394 264.03
 Prior rounds:
E1                   0.087  5.309 267.96      (L Callaway  ) 0.020  5.407 264.60
 Qualified:             #1  5.249 273.22                        #9  5.419 263.77

Thacker with great light, and the lead until just past half track when Olivarez was able to chase him down. Olivarez will have lane choice in the semifinal against Shields.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  475 Steve Torrence                        412 David Brounkowski            
E2   ****WINNER****  0.092  5.202 276.46                     0.102  5.427 255.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (G Snow      ) 0.091  5.275 272.17      (R Meyer     ) 0.122  5.495 249.16
 Qualified:             #2  5.254 273.94                       #10  5.428 256.36

Torrence with a great pass a career best E.T. and mph for the win and lane choice over force in the next round. Brounkowski with his career quickest pass in a losing effort.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink