Sun, 1 Oct 2006, 01:47 PM Top Alcohol Dragster Round 1 Eliminations

By Dave Rowe

COMMERCE, Ga. - Results of round 1 eliminations in Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Southeast Division, event at Atlanta Dragway:

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
  267 Dan Lucas                              45 Aaron Olivarez               
E1                   0.133  6.081 209.01     ****WINNER****  0.078  5.434 261.52
 Qualified:             #8  6.427 209.69                        #1  5.356 264.44

1:23 p.m. Lucas put a couple of cylinders out about 400 feet out. Olivarez makes another good run in the Lucas dragster and pulls away for the win.

Word comes from the Safety Safari that we have some oil on the top end in the left lane.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    5 Marty Thacker                          22 Artie Allen                  
E1   ****WINNER****  0.012  5.594 260.76                     0.019  5.857 188.33
 Qualified:             #5  5.533 261.17                        #4  5.495 257.97

That didn't take long, turns out we just had a few drops in the shutdown area.

Allen was on a pretty good pass, pulling ahead of Thacker just past the 60-foot mark. He has problems around half-track, then loses the blower belt about 1100 feet out.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
    7 Ashley Force                          265 Cherissa Griffis             
E1   ****WINNER****  0.066  5.543 262.13                     0.364  6.156 194.83
 Qualified:             #2  5.382 264.96                        #7  6.055 205.91

Force was out in front all the way on this one, getting the hole-shot, then pulling away from Griffis. Griffis had problems lat in the run, raw fuel coming out of the headers as she went through the lights.

 Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT-----ET---Speed-----Car#-Driver(Opp'nt)-RT----ET---Speed
   25 Robin Samsel                         2155 Guy Kelly                    
E1                  -0.055  5.922 233.52     ****WINNER****  0.064  5.477 254.86
 Qualified:             #6  5.578 248.20                        #3  5.409 262.79

Samsel leaves a little too soon, then puts out a couple of cylinders on the left sdie of the engine about 400 feet out. Kelly makes a nice pass and will have lane chocie over Force in round two, Olivarez will have lane choice over Thacker.

Timing data courtesy of CompuLink