Sat, 22 Jul 2006, 04:55 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Qualifying Notes, Final Session

By Michael L. Jex

KENT, Wash. - Notes from final, round 3 qualifying in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series, 19th annual Schuck's Auto Supply NHRA Nationals presented by Lucas Oil listing lane, driver name, elapsed time/top speed this round, position in order following run, best prior elapsed time/speed, and position in order prior to run:

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Left Lane: Garrett Bateman Runs 5.600/262.33, Now #6; Best prior run: 6.053/251.16, Was #12
Right Lane: Gregg Lawrence Runs 5.670/248.61, Now #8; Best prior run: 5.994/239.02, Was #11

Bateman's run was right down broadway, he was going 212.33 mph at the halfway point. Lawrence also improves, looks like the cloud cover we've had for the past hour is going to help the nitro fueled teams this session.

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Left Lane: Mark Hentges Runs 5.682/246.62, Now #9; Best prior run: 6.206/197.05, Was #13
Right Lane: Kim Parker Runs 6.306/155.10, Now #14; Best prior run: 6.970/135.61, Was #16

Kim Parker had smoke, then a loud pop, then a small fire come out the back of her racecar. Hentges just missed the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Brandon Johnson Runs 5.486/262.44, Now #2; Best prior run: 5.532/260.11, Was #3
Right Lane: Sean O'Bannon Runs 9.886/80.23, Now #1; Best prior run: 5.474/261.52, Was #1

Brandon's home track tuneup just missed the top spot.

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Left Lane: Ashley Force Runs 5.535/259.76, Now #4; Best prior run: 5.864/250.78, Was #13
Right Lane: Joey Severance Runs 5.633/253.04, Now #8; Best prior run: 12.851/75.28, Was #17

That's more like it! Ashley's incremental numbers - Ashley Force's incremental times: 60ft-0.978 sec., 330ft-2.525, 660ft-3.693/214.55mph, 1,000ft-4.681.

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Left Lane: Morgan Lucas No Time, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.778/245.00, Was #13
Right Lane: Duane Shields Runs 5.561/261.27, Now #7; Best prior run: 5.762/257.92, Was #12

Evidently Morgan's team were unable to get off the starting line, Shields team are very happy to get into the top half of the field.

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Left Lane: Bill Edwards Jr. Runs 5.747/246.39, Now #13; Best prior run: 5.784/211.53, Was #14
Right Lane: Dennis Swearingen Runs 6.046/244.92, Now #15; Best prior run: 6.931/197.05, Was #17

There was excitement on and off the track - Both teams were moving left-to-right-to-left going down the quarter mile, in the staging lanes TAFC driver Larry Miners fire bottles went off in a large cloud. Don't know if the Miner brothers will have time to replace them...

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Left Lane: Spencer Massey Runs 23.180/24.00, Now #6; Best prior run: 5.553/256.21, Was #6
Right Lane: Steve Federlin Runs 5.501/259.66, Now #3; Best prior run: 5.505/258.12, Was #3

Massey's run ended as soon as he dropped the hammer, something went foul and he lifted. Federlin has the quickest 5.50 bracket car in Seattle, he went 5.505, 5.505 and 5.501 in qualifying, a range of .004 in three runs! Wow.

1:48 p.m.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink