Sun, 6 Nov 2005, 04:05 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 2 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

POMONA, Calif. - Results of round 2 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 41st annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    2 Bill Reichert                         672 Mike Austin                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.087  5.280 274.27                     0.029  5.370 265.69
 Prior rounds:
E1    (B Perkins   ) 0.099  5.273 274.27      (C Magee     ) 0.059  5.404 265.27
 Qualified:             #2  5.289 271.13                        #7  5.390 264.86

12:41 p.m. Weather conditions: air temperature 77 degrees, relative humidity 28 percent, barometer 29.31 inches, adjusted altitude 2,074 feet, track temperature 88 degrees.

Austin had problems getting the engine started, the battery on the starter was dead. Reichert's crew loaned him their battery to crank the engine. Austin outs a big hole-shot on Reichert and starts pulling away. He extends his lead to half-track, then Reichert starts to reel him in. Reichert drives around him just past the 1000-foot mark and hangs on for the win. Bill Reichert's incremental margins (negative if behind): 60ft(-0.054), 330 ft(-0.087), 660ft(-0.052), 1,000ft(-0.002). MOV: 0.0326 seconds (approximately 13 feet).

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    4 Ashley Force                         7116 Joe Windham                  
E2   ****WINNER****  0.028  5.352 265.27                     0.059  5.329 266.48
 Prior rounds:
E1    (D Shields   ) 0.045  5.371 263.31      (L Miersch   ) 0.047  5.345 267.80
 Qualified:             #4  5.302 268.65                        #5  5.307 269.51

Force gets a hole-shot and needed every bit of it. Windham quickly starts to reel her in but runs out of race-track.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   10 Steve Federlin                       717M Aaron Olivarez               
E2                   0.031  5.382 262.23     ****WINNER****  0.052  5.302 266.74
 Prior rounds:
E1    (J Severance ) 0.055  5.369 262.69      (J Haley     ) 0.144  5.342 267.91
 Qualified:             #6  5.372 264.86                        #3  5.300 269.56

Federlin gets the hole-shot, but Olivarez starts making up ground and drives around him before they reach the 1000-foot mark. Olivarez will give up lane choice to Reichert in round three.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
 7470 Hillary Will                          475 Steve Torrence               
E2                   0.029  5.424 267.22     ****WINNER****  0.074  5.257 267.80
 Prior rounds:
E1    (S O'Bannon  ) 0.070  5.352 269.78      (B Johnson   ) 0.076  5.300 269.03
 Qualified:             #8  5.393 268.76                        #1  5.273 268.22

Will leaves first, then Torrence starts to reel her in. Torrence drives around before they reach the 330-foot mark, then makes the quickest pass of the weekend and takes the win. He will have lane choice over Force in round three.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink